


Flaw & Order

by Mommysaurus



Category: Ancient Greek Religion & Lore, Lore Olympus (Webcomic)
Genre: Angst, Apollo is Trash, Asspollo, Courtroom Drama, F/M, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Helicopter Mom, Justice, Justice for Persephone, Slow Burn, Zeus is Trash
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-10-27
Updated: 2020-10-20
Packaged: 2021-01-04 08:20:40
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 11
Words: 39,932
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21194546
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mommysaurus/pseuds/Mommysaurus
Summary: Persephone finds herself ensnared in a broken legal system that barely recognizes her assault as an offense as she faces serious criminal penalties for defacing Apollo’s lyre.  Undaunted, she is determined to find her justice.It’s going to be a while before we get to see our cinnamon roll have her justice, and I’ve been growing impatient.  I wrote this based on trying to figure out how everything would go down.  Lots of fluff, not sure if I have the skills to try any smut but I guess we will see.





	1. Lyre, Lyre

**Author's Note:**

> As a community, fanfic writers have become aware that some readers believe that Rachel is “stealing” ideas from us. Nothing could be farther from the truth. Any similarity between our works of fanfiction and the Lore Olympus canon is due to the authors’ use of common source material, in the form of Greek myths, and being a superfan and paying attention to Rachel’s details. Any time there is an overlap of plot, it is due to coincidence or careful work on the fanfic author’s part. When these details show up in canon, the fanfic authors feel nothing but joy upon having guessed correctly. 
> 
> I expressly state that I take no issue with any similarities that may arise between their Lore Olympus fan fiction and the work of Rachel Smythe.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Persephone is summoned.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the first fanfic I’ve ever written, so I apologize in advance if it isn’t very good. I’m always open to feedback. 
> 
> Lore Olympus characters are not mine and belong to Rachel Smythe.
> 
> As a general rule, I'm a Fast Pass reader, and as the chapters come out, they are usually influenced by things we have seen in the Fast Pass chapters. I will put chapter warnings if there is a reference to anything spoilery for those who do not Fast Pass.

“Looks like she’s working late again,” Artemis sighed, slumping against the wall next to Persephone’s door.

“Meow meow,” Retsina replied.

Artemis stood, waving her hand dismissively. “I know, I know. But is she _ actually _ working, or just flirting with her boss?” She said that last word with dripping disdain.

“Mrrrrrm,” Retsina grumbled, turning her back on the purple goddess.

The pair stared at each other angrily for a moment. Artemis sighed again and looked into Persephone’s room.

“Ugh, you’re right,” she conceded. “Perse has been taking all of her responsibilities very seriously.” 

Her eyes scanned Persephone’s room. Open textbooks, highlighters, and class notes were strewn across her bed in a sort of organized chaos. On her desk were handmade flyers for a TGOEM charity event Persephone was coordinating. Beside those sat her cracked laptop, open to show a fundraising speech she was preparing for that event. Discarded, crumpled scraps of paper littered the floor between her bed and her desk. Curious, Artemis walked over to pick one up and examined it. 

She read the title of the discarded document aloud. “Shade Welfare and Fair Labor Proposal?” 

Skimming the document and the others on the floor, Artemis realized that Persephone was also doing work in what should have been her free time. Artemis turned to regard Retsina, who sat judgmentally in the doorway.

“Doesn’t she know how to take a break?” she wondered. Retsina simply lowered her head and sighed. “What an overachiever.”

Artemis eyed the room again, no longer annoyed with her roommate. Now, she took pity for Persephone. She noticed a few boxes in the corner of the room, still unpacked from when Persephone moved in a few weeks ago. Artemis looked back at Restina. Their eyes met, and she had an idea.

“If she’s going to work herself to death,” Artemis thought aloud, “maybe I can give her a hand here, don’t you think?” Retsina chirped her agreement.

The purple goddess set to work, unpacking books out of the first box and arranging them on Persephone’s bookshelves. As she reached the bottom of the box, something golden glinted under a small blue blanket. 

“What is that?” she asked herself, tugging on the blanket to pull up the object it concealed. When she realized what it was, she jumped back with a curse under her breath. 

Recovering, she leaned back into the box and pulled out the object: a golden lyre, with several of its strings snapped. _What the fuck?_

Artemis’ ears began ringing as the ichor rushed to her face. _How DARE she!?_ Her stomach sank in twisting, turning betrayal.

She cradled the lyre delicately against herself, as if it was a living thing on the brink of death. She felt as if a part of her own body had just been wounded. 

With one hand shaking in intensifying rage, she reached into her pocket, pulled out her phone, and fumbled through her contacts until she found the one she was looking for, and dialed: _ Dumb Brother._

The line trilled so long she worried it would go to voicemail, but it eventually picked up, and a hoarse voice answered. “Artemis?”

“Apollo,” she spoke, whispering his name with grave concern. “I think I know what has been happening to your powers and why you are weak. I think we are going to have to call Zeus.”

*****

Persephone looked at the clock on the desk in her office at Underworld Corp. It was very late. She yawned, but then shook her head as if she could shake away the exhaustion. She was determined to finish her Shade Welfare and Fair Labor Proposal tonight. She tapped away slowly on her work computer, still getting used to it, referring to the outline she had settled on that morning. She was lost in thought when a familiar voice startled her.

“What are you still doing here?” Hades inquired with concern. “All the other interns left hours ago.” 

“I’m not other interns,” she responded coyly. “Besides,” she continued, standing, “I’m working on something I want to present to you but it’s not ready, so I don’t want you looking yet.” She started to push him out of her office.

Hades raised an eyebrow. “I’m the king here. I can go wherever I want.” 

“Just because you _ can _ do something,” Persephone huffed, “doesn’t mean you _ should _ do something.”

Hades opened his mouth to retort, but then paused as if considering Persephone’s words. “That’s fair,” he finally admitted at length.

“Of course it is,” she said. “And I hope you remember that when I give you my presentation.”

Hades tried unsuccessfully to see what was on her computer screen, but without his glasses the writing at that distance was blurred. “Remember what?” he asked.

“That just because something is a rule doesn’t make it fair, and sometimes the rules need to change.”

He regarded the small pink goddess with interest. She looked up at him with stubborn determination. _ She’s so beautiful when she’s like this, _he thought. 

They regarded each other for what seemed to them as both an eternity and no time at all. Persephone’s stifled yawn broke their reverie.

“Hey,” Hades finally spoke, “I don’t want this internship hampering your performance at school. Don’t you have class tomorrow?”

Persephone hesitated. Of course she did. Hades knew this, too. 

“Come on,” he went on, gesturing for her to follow him. “I think that’s enough work for today.” This time he hesitated. “W-Would you like me to give you a r-ride home?” he finally sputtered anxiously.

“Yes!” Persephone beamed. She welcomed any excuse to spend more time with her crush.

She turned to shut down her computer and grab her coat and purse. The pair then proceeded to Hades’ office so he could gather his coat and keys. Most of the employees at Underworld Corp. had already gone home for the day, and their voices echoed through the halls of the large high-rise in its emptiness. Persephone and Hades chatted casually as they went, both finding relief in the other’s company. The ninety-ninth floor was also just as empty, and even Hades’ new assistant’s shift ended hours ago. In his office, Hades began gathering files as well as his personal effects.

“What’s all that?” Persephone asked.

“Just some work I was going to take home,” he answered nonchalantly.

She regarded the tall blue god with concern, crossing her arms. “How’s it fair that I’m being told not to work myself to death, but you’re going to do that to yourself?”

With a sigh, Hades paused, his hand full of papers hovering midair. He looked at her with a raised eyebrow. “I’m still the boss here,” he countered.

“Hades…” 

“Just this once,” he sighed, placing the stack of papers back on his desk. Their eyes met. “For you.” Persephone felt her cheeks grow hot.

As they walked to Hades’ car in the parking garage, a visibly dismayed Hermes hurried through the air and skidded to a halt in front of them, nearly tumbling into Hades in the process. 

“Hey! What’s the big deal?” Hades complained.

Hermes did not acknowledge the God of the Dead, but instead turned toward Persephone, regarding her apprehensively. He dug something out of his messenger bag with a trembling hand. 

“I have a message for you,” Hermes told her in a barely audible whisper as he handed her a letter, “from Zeus.”

“Zeus?” Persephone tried to meet her friend’s gaze, but he looked at his feet instead. 

Confused, Persephone opened the letter. The word “SUMMONS” appeared in large red, bold typeface at the top, and it caught Hades’ eye. As Persephone read, her hair began to grow and tumble onto her shoulders. Her shoulders slumped and her head hung low and she looked very much to Hades like a wilted flower. 

“What’s wrong?” he asked her, placing a gentle hand on her shoulder.

Persephone couldn’t speak even if she wanted to. Her knees felt weak and her stomach began to turn. She dropped the letter as she crumpled to the ground. Reflexively, Hades dropped the keys in his hand and caught the small pink goddess before she hit the ground. Persephone simply turned, wordless, and buried her face in his coat, shuddering in a mixture of rage and worry, desperately trying to compose herself. Hermes handed Hades the dropped letter, eyeing Persephone furtively. With one arm wrapped around Persephone, Hades read the urgent message from Zeus.

_ SUMMONS _

_ Wherefore, by all these men present, may it be known that _ _ Kore Persephone _ _ is hereby summoned to appear in tribunal before Zeus, King of the Gods, _ _ to answer for charge of the high crime of _ _ impiety _ _ against Phoebus Apollo. Kore Persephone is hereby ORDERED to appear for arraignment _ _ tomorrow at 11:00 a.m. in the Olympian Court of Zeus, King of the Gods. Failure to appear will result in immediate arrest and imprisonment. _

Hades found himself shaking in anger. “What the fuck is this?” 

Persephone looked up at him with shame in her eyes, but could not yet find the strength to answer. Hades racked his brain, trying to understand what the small pink goddess could have possibly done to face such a grave accusation. He knew what the charge of _ asebeia _, or impiety, meant, and how severe the punishment for such a crime could be. He recalled the night Apollo showed up at Persephone’s apartment, haranguing her when she clearly wanted nothing to do with him, and all she could do was cower in Hades’ car. 

_ Is this just another way for him to harass her? _ Hades wondered.

He stuffed the summons in his coat pocket and placed both hands on her shoulders. “Hey,” he whispered to her, “let’s get you home. We can figure this out.”

Hermes, who lingered nervously, shook his head. “I don’t think that’s a good idea,” he told them both. “Artemis is furious with Persephone. Like… deadly furious. I’ve never seen her that angry.“ His eyes met Persephone’s as she turned to regard him in shock. “She said you hurt Apollo,” he explained. “Something about being a liar.” He paused, visibly conflicted. “I don’t understand what this is all about, either. But I’m here, if you need me.” 

All the color left Persephone’s face as realization crept in. “The lyre,” she whispered.

Hades had questions, but this was not the time or place to ask them. There was not much time at all. 

“Thank you Hermes,” he said. Then, he returned his attention to the anxious goddess. “Kore-P-Persephone, would you be w-willing to c-come home with me?” She already knew her answer, but could not process all this new information. Her hair tumbled onto the ground now. “Staying in my guest room?” Hades hurriedly added. “I’ll call Hecate and we can figure this out.”

Persephone nodded quietly. 

“Is there anything I can do?” Hermes asked eagerly.

Persephone replied meekly. “Can you get my things? My books for school, my laptop, and some clothes?”

Hermes nodded obediently and took off.

*****

Persephone sat, cross-legged, on the couch in Hades’ living room, sipping tea and staring blankly ahead. Hades sat beside her, running his hands through his hair, staring at the summons sitting on the coffee table. Cerberus sat at the foot of the couch, whimpering softly as he looked up at Persephone. Hecate paced before them, arms crossed and lips taut in thought. After several long minutes, she stopped.

“We can’t help you if we don’t know the full story,” she chided. “_Asebeia _ is a serious crime—one of the worst. You tell me you were justified in taking Apollo’s lyre and vandalizing it, but proving that you were justified is not easy. You desecrated the sacred object of an _ Olympian _ , in Olympus. And that Olympian just happens to be one of the most favored by Zeus. And because of his connection to the lyre, damaging the lyre hurt him.” Persephone fought against the smirk that turned the corners of her mouth. _ Good, _ she thought. “This is very bad, Persephone.”

Persephone bit her lip. She glanced at Hades. She couldn’t let him know _ why _. What would he think of her? Would she lose his respect? Would he turn her out? Hades’ gaze remained on the summons. Was he already disgusted with her? Is he angry that he brought a criminal into his home?

“This charge is bullshit,” he spat. “I’ve seen Apollo harassing her. He wouldn’t leave her alone, even when she told him to go home. Isn’t that enough?” 

Hecate shook her head. “No, it’s not, and you know that.”

Hades rubbed his temples in thought. As an idea came to him, he turned and placed a hand on Persephone’s hand. 

“Tomorrow is just an arraignment. All you are doing then is giving your plea.”

“My plea?” Persephone asked, confused.

“You tell Zeus whether you are guilty or not guilty,” Hecate explained. “And then Apollo will present argument as to whether you should be detained until trial. Of course, you’ll want to present argument against that.” 

Persephone sank back. “I don’t know how to do that,” she whispered.

“That’s what we are here for,” Hades told her reassuringly. “If it’s all right with you—if you want—I can appear as your counselor and present the argument for you.”

Persephone felt a warmth spread through her. “You would do that for me?”

Hades nodded. “I—“

Hecate cut him off. “I don’t think that’s a good idea,” she told him. He raised an eyebrow. She paused, considering her words carefully. “She needs someone less… personally invested in the outcome of this proceeding. That doesn’t mean you can’t be moral support.” 

Persephone regarded them both quizzically. What did Hecate mean by this? Why would Hades be personally invested in all this?

“Besides,” Hecate went on, “you will be the ace in our pocket if we need someone to handle Zeus.” Hades nodded. She was right. “Persephone, I can appear as your legal counsel if you want?”

“Yes, I would, thank you.”

Hecate sighed. “Well that settles that, but we are still going to have to plan your defense. This won’t be easy.” Her glowing yellow eyes met Persephone’s. “And it’s going to require your _ unequivocal _ candor.” 

Persephone nodded. She knew she would have to be honest with Hecate about what Apollo did to her. She just was not ready to tell her—let alone Hades. She sipped her tea silently, trying to steady her nerves. Suddenly there was a knock at Hades’ door.

“That must be Hermes with your things,” Hades told her, standing.

“I’ll get it.” Hecate said it more as a command, gesturing for Hades to stay seated. 

When she left, Hades looked at the wilted goddess before him. His heart sank. He knew that whatever reason she had to punish Apollo the way she did was likely a good reason. It would not be fair for her to be punished when the real transgressor was obviously Apollo.

“Kore,” he said, gently. 

“Are you disappointed with me?” Persephone asked into her teacup, too ashamed to look Hades in the eye. 

“Disappointed?” Hades was taken aback. “Absolutely not.” His arms ached to draw her close, to reassure her, but he didn’t. She sighed, set her teacup on the coffee table, and, to his surprise, leaned into him. “We’ll figure this out, okay?” 

“Okay,” she whispered.

After some time, Hecate returned to the living room. “I set your bags in the guest—“ She stopped in her tracks and took in the sight before her. “Oh.” Persephone had fallen asleep against Hades’ chest, and Hades had apparently also nodded off. Her eyes met Cerberus’ and he gave her a knowing wink.

“I’ll be back in the morning,” she told the hellhound. “I think you can handle this.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Since Rachel has referenced several Ancient Greek laws as controlling the way things are run in the LO universe (even if they are archaic), I’m drawing the laws from Ancient Greek laws. The judicial system and legal procedure is based on a hybrid of the modern Greek system and the US system (to make it fit the modern/hybrid feeling of the LO universe).
> 
> For a point of historical reference, impiety (asebeia) is what Socrates was convicted of and sentenced to death for.


	2. Circus

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Persephone answers her summons. Nothing goes the way she expects.

The courtroom in Olympus would have appeared magnificent, Persephone thought, if she had entered it for the first time under any other circumstances. Marble columns lined elegant white walls that reached several stories high. Bright sunlight poured in through high windows that spanned towards the fresco-lined ceiling. Despite the warmth of the sunlight, the air felt cold as it passed through her recently-cropped hair. The gallery was massive, easily seating several thousand, suggesting that proceedings within this building could become quite a public spectacle. Persephone gulped at the thought. At the end of the long gallery were two long tables sitting opposite each other. A podium sat in between them. At the very end, on a raised dais, was the judges’ bench, behind which sat seven empty chairs. Persephone wondered who, other than Zeus, would occupy those seats.

Hecate led the way through the courtroom while Hades walked beside Persephone, casting her furtive glances. Their footsteps against the cold marble floors echoed loudly through the courtroom, making Persephone feel smaller than she already felt. Her stomach knotted in nervousness. She felt weaker with each step. 

_What have I gotten myself into?_ she wondered.

At Hecate’s insistence, they arrived early, before anyone else, so that they could avoid the harassment of reporters and paparazzi. Persephone was grateful for that. Hecate gestured to the table on the right.

“The accused sits here,” she explained, setting her purse down. “That’s you. The accuser, Apollo, will sit there.” She gestured to the opposite table. 

“But we don’t have to wait here just yet,” Hades added. “There is a room over there”—he gestured towards a door that nearly blended into the white walls not too far from their table—“where we can wait, i-if you want.”

Persephone nodded. She was not ready for the inevitable stares, nor was she ready for _him_. She could see Apollo’s smug face, his pompous entitlement to _her_. A crown of red, thorny vines grew and encircled her head at the thought. This did not go unnoticed by Hades, who was familiar by now with what her crown of thorns indicated. 

“You have every right to be angry,” he soothed, closing the door behind them. “This is a bullshit, trumped-up charge.”

Hecate simply sighed. “It’s not, though. This is a very serious offense you’re being charged with. But we will deal with that later. Right now, just take deep breaths. This is the first step in a long journey.”

“But you’re both here with me,” Persephone added with a slight smile. “That makes it easier.” She did not notice Hades flushing behind her.

There was a sudden knock on the door to their counsel room. Hades grumbled with annoyance. “What in Gaia’s name is it now?”

He opened the door slightly and groaned at the rose-colored form on the other side. He turned to look at Persephone, not opening the door any further. “It’s Eros,” he announced grumpily.

“Eros?” Persephone wondered why he would be here, but she was glad he came. He was the only one who knew why she did what she did. “Yes, please let him in.”

Hades did as he was asked, but glowered at the love god as he sashayed into the small room and set a teal duffel bag he was carrying on the table. Persephone stood and gave him a hug. Eros hugged her back tightly. 

“Oh honey,” he told her, “you look like shit.”

Persephone laughed softly, but her eyes became glassy. “I bet I do,” she sighed as she pulled back. “Why are you here?”

Eros bit his lip and eyed Hecate and Hades. He had to assume they did not know what he knew, and so he had to be careful with his words. This was something he was not good at. 

“It’s all over the news,” he told her in a quiet, pained voice. “What you’re being accused of.”

Persephone gasped, covering her mouth with her hands. “What?”

Eros leaned in close. “Do they know why you did what you did?”

She shook her head and lowered her gaze.

“Darling,” he whispered, taking her hands in his, “it might be time to tell them.” 

Persephone’s stomach churned even more. She knew she probably _should_ say something, but the thought of saying the words out loud, describing what happened to her, terrified her, like it would be reliving it all over again. Worse, what would Hades think of her? She wavered. 

Hades saw Persephone’s expression grow more distant, her knees wobbling. Instinctively, he brought her chair closer to her so she could sit. He knelt before her anxiously, asking her how she was feeling, whether she needed anything, and reassuring her. Persephone mumbled incoherent responses and she tried to steel her nerves.

Eros observed the God of the Dead doting over the Goddess of Spring with a knowing smirk. He began rummaging through his bag.

“What did you bring, Eros?” Persephone asked him, not taking her gaze from the blue god before her.

Eros retrieved beauty products and makeup from his bag. “If you’re going to be in the spotlight in a high-profile case, you want to look camera ready, and I figured you might need me to come to the rescue.” 

Persephone gave him a weak, grateful smile. She appreciated the gesture, and sat quietly as Hades obediently moved aside and Eros stepped in. He applied lotion and makeup with a flourish. However, all this time, his words rang in her ears. 

_Camera ready._

_Snap!_

_Relax, I'm just taking pictures._

She took a deep breath and her eyes turned to Hades, who was peering from the cracked open door, apparently watching as people filed into the courtroom. He turned and their eyes met. They exchanged small smiles. _I’ve got this,_ she told herself, finding her smile growing under the gaze of the blue god before her. She thought about the night before, falling asleep against his chest on his couch, feeling warm and safe with his arm wrapped around her. Her cheeks started to warm. 

Eros and Hecate exchanged knowing glances.

“It’s time,” Hecate said heavily, checking her watch.

Eros hugged his friend once more. “Good luck, darling.”

As he sashayed out of the room, Hades turned once more to Persephone, extending a hand to help her stand. She took it, blushing as their skin made contact. She wanted to just throw herself into his arms, bury her face in his chest, and disappear somewhere far away from here. 

But this was not the time to run away. She stood, resolute. This was a time to fight.

“Remember,” Hecate told her, leaning in, “I’ll do all the talking, okay?”

Persephone nodded. She then turned to Hades, placing a hand on his arm.

“Will you be up there with me?” she asked him.

“No, I can’t,” he told her with regret in his voice. “Just Hecate. But I’ll be right behind you.”

She bit her lip and squeezed his arm absentmindedly. She wanted him to stay by her. She felt safer with him by her. But it was not to be. She would have to handle this on her own. Hades gave her a warm, reassuring smile. A crown of borage, jasione, and lavender sprouted on her head. 

_I can do this._

“All right,” she told him. “Let’s go.”

Hades led the way, for which she immensely thankful, because as she saw the massive courtroom gallery filled with spectators and reporters, all she wanted to do was hide behind his large form. The size of the crowd made her feel even smaller, and she fought against the panic bubbling within her. People murmured as they emerged from their small waiting room and reporters’ cameras started flashing.

_Snap. Snap._

Persephone averted her gaze back to Hades. She needed to find something familiar to help her ground herself. She resisted the desperate urge to press into him, knowing he would console her. She was painfully conscious of how the media would handle any gesture or hint of intimacy between them.

She spotted Eros sitting in the row directly behind the accused’s table, next to Aphrodite and Ares. Ares flashed her a smirk and held up a fist, as if to say "you got this." Aphrodite appeared to be present in part for the entertainment, but Persephone would take what support she could get. Beside Ares sat Hera, who seemed visibly upset and regarded Persephone with a tragic smile, hints of mascara running from the corners of her eyes as if she was fighting tears. Hades joined Hera, who had apparently saved him a seat directly behind where Persephone would sit.

Persephone’s eyes scanned the rest of the courtroom. She saw classmates in the back, including Tori, glowering at her judgmentally. She imagined what cruel comments they would hurl at her. _Olympian snob. You deserve this. You gods always think you're above the law._

She spotted Apollo at his table, smirking smugly as she expected him to, despite what appeared to be his attempt to look like the pitiful victim in this ordeal.

_Fuck you_, Persephone snapped internally, shocking herself. Hints of red vines began to weave through the crown of flowers on her head.

Artemis sat in the row directly behind the accuser’s table, glaring daggers at Persephone. Her eyes were puffy, as if she had been crying all morning. Persephone’s heart sank. She never wanted to hurt Artemis. In fact, that’s why she never told Artemis about what Apollo did. Despite all her efforts, she still hurt her friend, and probably irreparably damaged their friendship. 

Hermes sat beside Artemis, but cast a tragic, confused glance at Persephone. Her heart sank further. Was this another friendship she had damaged beyond repair? Leto, the mother of Apollo and Artemis, sat on one side of Artemis, while Hermes sat on the other. The red god appeared to be in pain, and he watched her with sad eyes.

She slunk into her chair, miserable. _I’ve got this_, she kept telling herself, a mantra to steady her nerves, but it was becoming unconvincing. She hadn’t eaten anything for breakfast, and she was glad, because she queasiness she was feeling might have been much, much worse. She stared at her fingers, feeling the seconds creep by like eons. She could feel all the eyes on her. Fragrant purple and blue flower petals tumbled around her. She admired their texture, the way they curled as they landed on the table. She wondered how long it would be for Zeus to arrive. Time kept dragging, and all she wanted was to be done and over with this ordeal.

At long last, a daemon in a security uniform—the bailiff, Hecate explained in a whisper—appeared before the judge’s bench. A nymph followed him and took a seat in front of the judge’s bench, next to the strangest looking computer Persephone ever saw. The nymph was the court scribe, Hecate explained, whose duty it would be to record everything said in the proceedings.

“All rise!” the bailiff bellowed. Everyone stood obediently. “Zeus, King of the Gods, presiding!”

Zeus materialized at the center of the dais with a flourish. He carried himself in a way that made his plain black robes appear flamboyant. He perched enthusiastically at the central seat.

“You may be seated,” he began. As everyone shuffled to be seated, Zeus continued. “Court is now in session. Announcing Cause Number 19-CV-003452, _Phoebus Apollo versus Kore Persephone_.” As Zeus spoke, the scribe began typing hurriedly. “The matter before the Court is for the charge of the high crime of _asebeia_, being brought by Phoebus Apollo against Kore Persephone. What is the accusation?”

Apollo stood, casting a dark glance at Persephone. “The accused”—he said that word with venom—“broke into my car and stole a relic that was sacred to me,” he announced. “She then maliciously desecrated it, and in the process caused injury to my health and my powers.”

_Serves you right,_ thought Persephone.

Around her, though, the spectators murmured in shock. Zeus turned to Persephone.

“How does the accused plead?” Displeasure lingered with every word.

Hecate stood. “Not guilty,” she announced.

“Noted,” Zeus said with a hint of derision. He looked back at Apollo. “Do you wish to move for remand, my boy?”

_My boy?_ Persephone thought. _Is this normal?_ She hazarded a glance back at Hades. He and Hera looked very perturbed at this exchange. _I guess this is not normal._

Apollo stood again. “I do, Your Majesty.”

“Very well,” Zeus announced, “Kore Persephone is to be detained—“

“Objection, with all due respect!” Hecate interrupted, standing, incensed. Her yellow eyes flashed menacingly. 

Zeus was visibly flustered. “_Excuse me_?”

“The accused has a right to argue against detention,” the blue goddess argued.

Zeus sighed in obvious annoyance. “Very well, humor me." He waved a hand dismissively. "Give me a _good_ reason why I shouldn’t.”

Persephone could hear Hades grumble something under his breath behind her, but could not make it out. Her heart was pounding and her stomach twisting itself in knots. Why was Zeus so eager to just give Apollo what he wanted? Was she really going to be detained for the duration of all of this? 

“Persephone is no flight risk,” Hecate began. “She has responsibilities with school. She is an intern with Underworld Corp. and is a vital asset to operations there. Plus she’s a novitiate the Goddesses of Eternal Maidenhood and has responsibilities to maintain with that organization. There is—“

A voice from behind them interrupted Hecate with earnest authority. “Your Majesty, the Goddesses of Eternal Maidenhood object to the representation of one of our novitiates by a non-member.” It was Hestia. 

Hecate wheeled around, casting a searing glare at the orange goddess. Persephone covered her face with her hands, but peered between her fingers with one eye. Zeus, it seemed, enjoyed this kind of drama. He was smiling giddily as he spoke, barely able to stay in his seat.

“Are you asking to discharge Hecate as counsel for the accused?” He practically licked his lips, as if the idea was delicious.

“I am, Your Majesty. TGOEM must protect its interests in this matter. We would have Pallas Athena speak for Kore Persephone.”

“Can they do that?” Persephone whispered to Hecate. Hecate only nodded sadly.

“Objection, Your Majesty,” Hecate stated. “The accused needs to be able to protect her rights, not the rights of third parties.”

“Hecate,” Zeus returned, “you know the laws. They’re as old as you are. The accused is a young woman. She doesn’t get to speak for herself in these proceedings anyways.” 

Persephone could feel her ichor freeze. _What?_

Zeus continued. “Someone who is her charge must speak for her. They decide what interests must be protected and what is in the accused’s best interests. She is, as you stated, a novitiate of the Goddesses of Eternal Maidenhood, and so therefore is for all purposes their ward. Sit down. Athena, please approach the counsel table.”

Persephone looked at Hecate helplessly. What was happening? Hecate squeezed her hand and then retreated as instructed. Athena took Hecate’s seat. Persephone regarded her new counsel with apprehension. She didn’t know Athena well. Whose interests did she serve? What was going on?

“Very well,” Zeus continued, “as I was saying, the accused will be—“

“_What in Gaia’s name is going on_?!” bellowed a voice from the back of the courtroom. 

Persephone didn’t need to look to know who it was. She knew that voice. She knew that tone. Her flower crown began wilting away with her remaining resolve, replaced by a peppering of pink carnations and mistletoe. Hushed murmurs spread through the courtroom. Cameras flashed excitedly. Zeus wriggled in his seat, clearly savoring the continued drama unfolding before him. He leaned forward excitedly. Demeter stormed down the aisle and towards the judge’s bench. Persephone sank further in her seat. She did not want to make eye contact with her mother.

“That’s far enough, Demeter,” Zeus told her when she neared the center podium. “What do you want?” he asked with feigned exasperation.

“What do you mean ‘what do you want’?” Demeter snapped. “I want to know why my daughter is sitting in that chair!” She pointed at Persephone. 

“Well that sounds like a conversation you’ll have to have with your daughter at a later time,” Zeus retorted derisively.

Demeter crossed her arms and glowered. “_You know what I mean_.”

“Demeter, we have laws and procedures to follow—“

“Well then why are you ordering her to be detained? Turn her over to me, her _mother_. She can stay in the mortal realm with—“

“Objection, Your Majesty!” Apollo exclaimed as he leapt from his seat. “Placing Persie-Persephone in the mortal realm creates a flight risk. She could run off to another pantheon out of your jurisdiction.”

“This is true,” Zeus mused. 

Athena stood. “Your Majesty, she is needed here. She is coordinating charity efforts for TGOEM. It would be unjustly harmful to TGOEM for Persephone to be detained and not contribute.” 

“I don’t know,” Zeus spoke, resting his chin on his hands in thought. “Apollo makes a compelling argument. She should really go somewhere where it’s difficult to escape.”

Behind Persephone, Hades witnessed this exchange with increasing frustration. Leave it to Zeus to allow a courtroom to turn into a circus. Worse, it became obvious that Zeus was biased in favor of Apollo. He saw Persephone slumping in her seat, once more reminding him of a wilted flower. Hecate wasn’t there to look out for her, and Athena appeared to be advocating for the interests of TGOEM, not Persephone. It seemed to him that Zeus even went along with the change in counsel just to set up Persephone for failure.

“For fuck’s sake, Zeus,” he exclaimed as he stood, “is ‘impartial’ even in your vocabulary?”

Demeter wheeled around and eyed him suspiciously. A wry smirk crept across Zeus’ face as he acted offended.

“Are you suggesting I’m just going to give the accuser whatever he wants?”

Hades simply glowered. Zeus’ face lit up with mischief.

“I know someplace where people can’t escape without permission,” Zeus announced, clapping his hands excitedly. “Congratulations Hades, the accused is now your ward for the pendency of this matter. Thank you for volunteering!”

Hades’ jaw dropped, not sure how to react. Murmuring once again filled the courtroom. Demeter glowered more. Persephone, feeling a mix of conflicting emotions, only stared at her hands, afraid to look at anyone, not wanting to see what they thought of her. 

Demeter was having none of this. “Now hold on—“

Zeus cut her off. “I _am_ the King here,” he reminded her. “And I’ve made my decision.”

“Hades is right, Zeus,” Demeter seethed through gritted teeth, “you are far from impartial. Kore needs—“

“You’re not her counsel,” Zeus reminded her. “I won’t hear this argument from you.”

Demeter whirled and glowered at Athena. Persephone, still afraid to meet her mother’s terrifying gaze, could still feel the heat of the stare in her direction. The silver Goddess of Wisdom sitting beside her also seemed to melt under that glare. 

“The accused will move for Your Majesty to recuse himself,” Athena announced finally, standing, “on the basis of obvious bias, as stated already by Demeter and the King of the Underworld.”

This proposition Zeus did not like. Electricity crackled around his head. He eyed the room, gritting his teeth. Demeter stood, arms crossed, glaring at him. Hades remained standing. Hecate stood beside him. Hera was also standing now, glowering. Ares obediently stood beside Hera. In the back of the gallery, he noticed, even a disappointed-looking Poseidon was standing now. Cede control? That was not his style. It was a challenge to his authority—publicly, at that. He considered the opposition, however, weighing whether this was a battle worth fighting.

“You know the laws.” Hades recited Zeus’ words back to him in a sharp tone. “They’re as old as you are.”

Zeus sighed, rubbing his temples. He decided the pink B-grade goddess was not worth this fight, but he did not want to surrender publicly. “I will take this under advisement. All interested parties will retire with me to my office.”

As everyone stood, Persephone finally hazarded a glance at her mother. Demeter was awash with conflicting emotions, but she wordlessly approached her daughter. They embraced each other tightly, Persephone's long pink locks tumbling around them. Persephone felt tears begin to well up in her eyes again, filled with conflicting emotions of her own. She knew Demeter would have harsh words for her later, but for now she cherished the warmth and comfort her mother offered. When she finally pulled back from her mother’s embrace, the courtroom was already nearly empty. Wiping tears from her eyes, she took Demeter’s hand and followed Athena, Hestia, and Hera towards Zeus’ office. She glanced behind her and spotted Hades and Hecate right behind her. That was some comfort, although they both looked miserable, probably on Persephone’s behalf. She did not spy Apollo or Artemis and was glad for that.

_These rules are weird,_ she told herself, _and unfair. Nobody who would want to look out for me is going to be able to look out for me, so I’m going to have to learn this stuff and do it myself. _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In ancient Greece, and to a certain degree in modern Greece, any citizen could bring a criminal charge against an individual and try the case against that person. In modern Greece, though, the civilian joins for civil penalties and a state attorney pursues the criminal penalties.
> 
> The modern Greek system has a panel of judges (actually, a mix of professional judges and lay jurors) that varies depending upon the type of crime/civil suit being brought, which is why the judges' bench has up to 7 seats. We will see more on this later. Zeus' setup is a callback to the clusterf*ck that the ancient Greek system could be (although ancient Greek juries had like 500-1500 people and it was way crazier sometimes than what you see here). Pretty much any male citizen could just jump in and add to the testimony. 
> 
> In ancient Greece, women were not allowed to speak in court except in certain circumstances. A male responsible for them would have to argue on her behalf. I fudged that a little for this story, in part because I have a wish fulfillment of seeing Hecate and Athena in court, and in part because I realistically could not see all these strong women characters Rachel wrote just sitting by and looking pretty. If it seems horribly implausible, let me know. 
> 
> Lavender is said to have a calming effect, and apparently the ancient Greeks believed it also symbolized love, protection, and belief in the impossible. Borage symbolizes courage. Jasione symbolizes justice. All are native to the Mediterranean region. Pink carnations symbolize a mother's love. The pink mistletoe is a callback to what Persephone grew on her head in Chapters 39-40 when she was attacked by the shades; mistletoe also symbolizes protection.


	3. Gathering Storm

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> There's a showdown over who will preside over Persephone's trial, but Persephone can't participate.

Persephone’s empty stare out the window in the lobby to Zeus’s office made Hades’ heart sink. Eros stood behind Persephone, gathering her hair into a braided bun and murmuring encouraging words to her, although she did not seem to hear him. Hecate sat and simply held her hand, casting worried glances at Hades. How could anyone want to do this to the Goddess of Spring? He could not stand to see her that way. Seeing her wilted form made him want to burn Olympus to the ground if it would bring her smile back.

Demeter’s piercing gaze at the back of his head reminded him that he could do nothing to comfort her, as it was not his place. He turned to face the green goddess.

“What is your interest with my daughter?” she demanded suspiciously.

Hades gulped. The lobby was large, but with everyone occupying it right now, it felt too small. He watched Zeus escort Apollo, Artemis, and Leto into the conference room next to his office and shut the door behind him. Poseidon and Amphitrite stood outside Zeus’ door, watching the exchange between Hades and Demeter uncomfortably. He realized everyone, in fact, was watching them. Everyone except Persephone, who still stared blankly out the window. Rain began to pound against the glass, the rhythmic sound amplifying the sound of his own racing heart in his ears.

“I—she-she works for me,” Hades stammered, quietly, “and I know she has more integrity than what Apollo is saying.” It wasn’t a lie, but it wasn’t the full truth. But he was still sorting out the full truth. “B-besides,” he added, “being a judge is part of my duties. I would be remiss if I did not speak up.”

That answer seemed to placate Demeter, and she began to turn towards Hera and Hestia. Then Demeter paused, as if something suddenly registered. 

"Wait." She whirled back around to face Hades again. “What do you mean,” she growled, her eyes narrowing, “that my daughter _works for you_?” Each word came across sharp, like the daggers Hades imagined she wanted to stab him with.

Hades hesitated, his eyes darting to Hera. Hera’s eyes widened. _ Don’t throw me under the bus_, she seemed to say. _ This is your fault_, he imagined telling her. _ But it’s not your fault. It’s my fault. This all started when I insulted Aphrodite at the Panathenaea. _ He bit his lip. _ Kore is suffering because of me. _

“I—Ko-Persephone is part of the Olympus-Underworld intern exchange p-program,” he explained carefully, turning back to Demeter, meeting her accusing gaze even though he wanted to look away. “She’s brilliant, Demeter. She’s the best worker we have.”

Demeter huffed, turning to look at her daughter. Her face softened at the sight of the wilted goddess who watched the rain pound the window with increasing intensity. Hades followed her gaze—he couldn’t help himself—and felt himself withering at the sight of Persephone’s misery. Demeter then whirled around and marched to Hera and Hestia. 

“You are going to help me fix this,” she barked at the two goddesses. “Now.”

Demeter did not wait for their response. She stomped towards the conference room and slammed the door open dramatically.

“_ZEUS!_” Demeter roared, her sickle materializing in her hand. Hades winced. He knew that tone. He remembered it from the Titanomachy. Demeter was formidable then, and he knew well what she was capable of. “_Do you want to meet the same fate as your grandfather Ouranos!? _"

Hera and Hestia followed quickly behind her, and they were followed by Poseidon, Amphitrite, and Athena. Demeter and Zeus were arguing, but it was inaudible. Hades lingered. Kore needed him. Eros had finished with her hair and sat beside her, holding her other hand. A thin crown of red vines grew around Persephone’s head. With the sky darkening outside—most likely due to Zeus’ mood—the lights from the lobby reflected in such a way as to turn the window into something of a mirror, allowing him to see Persephone’s face better. It was then that he noticed her eyes. They were crimson.

She was not broken, he realized. She was angry. This eased his worries. Angry meant she could fight. 

“Hecate,” he said softly to his old friend. 

The svelte blue goddess hugged Persephone and then stood. As Hecate walked towards Hades, Persephone’s eyes, through the reflection of the window locked with his. Her grim visage of determination softened for a moment. She nodded slightly at him. 

“We’ll be back,” he told her, and then he followed Hecate towards the conference room. 

Demeter brandished her sickle menacingly at Zeus. “My duties include presiding over the sacred laws. I should be the one who presides over an accusation of impiety against another god.”

“And I’m the King of the Gods,” Zeus countered, electricity rippling all over his body, “I get the final say.”

Demeter leaned across the table separating them, sickle pointed towards Zeus’ loins. “If that’s your wish, then let’s make castration by this sickle a family tradition for you.”

“Try it,” Zeus hissed leaning forward as well, their noses almost touching.

Poseidon and Hera pushed themselves between them, separating the two before a war broke out in the packed conference room. 

“Let’s act like adults about this,” Hera chided.

“You’re one to talk!” Zeus and Demeter shouted simultaneously at the petite golden goddess.

Hera scowled at them both. Zeus and Demeter exchanged uncomfortable glances and then both sat down.

Hades, still standing, ran his hands through his hair. The Six Traitors had not been in the same room together in a very long time, and the last time went about as smoothly. He wondered how anything was going to be resolved, but as he assessed the occupants in the room, he realized that the people where were here to further Kore’s interests were many and not the kinds of gods to be trifled with. Zeus was not going to win this one, and Hades realized it was clear that Zeus knew this, too.

The only empty seat was between Hera and Demeter. Hades took it, meeting Zeus’ jealous glare with his own building ire. 

“I judge the dead,” he stated plainly, with solemn authority. “I’ll preside over this trial. Persephone would have a fair trial.”

“Over my dead body,” Zeus snapped.

“That can be arranged,” Demeter returned, slamming her fist on the table.

Zeus gestured with exasperation towards Apollo, who sat wide-eyed and quiet next to Zeus. “You hate Apollo! He wouldn’t get a fair trial!”

“He’s not the one on trial here,” Hades replied carefully and evenly, trying to hold back his anger, and only barely succeeding. There were enough hotheads in the room.

“He has a right to have his grievances heard,” Zeus countered.

Hades scoffed. “Are you being his judge or his legal counsel? It’s getting difficult to tell right now.” His red eyes flashed an unspoken warning. 

Zeus leaned back in his seat and crossed his arms. “Poseidon,” he spoke at length, “why don’t you preside?”

Everyone looked at the God of the Ocean with interest. Poseidon shook his head and raised his hands in protest. “That’s not a good idea, bro, and you know it.” He looked at Apollo. “I might have to be called as a witness.”

Zeus sighed and exchanged glares with Hades and Demeter. Sparks of electricity crackled between his steepled fingers. The tips of Hades' fingers began to turn black and starry. Oleander and hemlock began to grow and weave around Demeter's arms. Hera's ice blue eyes flashed dangerously. Hecate's form began to mirage into three shapes. Even Hestia began to lose her patience, the orange glow of fire surrounding her form, matching the ferocity of her scowl. The sparks between Zeus's fingers grew into serpentine arcs that writhed around his arms and shoulders.

Athena spoke up, interrupting the silent showdown. “I have a proposal,” the Goddess of Wisdom stated coolly, apparently also trying to even the tempers in the room. Everyone looked at her with interest, returning to normal. “We bring in Astraea to preside.”

“Yes!” Hera piped. “In a situation like this, the Goddess of Justice is pretty far removed from everyone involved and has no vested interest in the outcome for either party.”

“I can live with that,” Demeter agreed. 

“Very well,” Zeus sighed, wiping his face with his hands, “I will appoint Astraea, Goddess of Justice, to preside over this matter.”

“That’s not good enough,” Hades interjected. Everyone looked at him with interest, except Zeus and Apollo, who were almost mirror images of each other as they narrowed their eyes at him. Hades met his brother’s gaze. “This is not a case for just one judge. This is not a petty crime. _ Asebeia _ is a high crime.”

Demeter’s face lit up. She almost seemed grateful. “That’s right, a violation of sacred laws requires a panel of five.”

Athena rested her chin on her hands, contemplating. “Because of who the parties are, we are not going to be able to find four more unbiased people from any of the three realms who are qualified to serve as a judge or juror.”

“Well then I guess you’re stuck with one judge,” Zeus said flatly.

Hera raised a hand. “Now hold on, that’s not true, and you know it, Zeus.”

Zeus held his hand to his chest in dramatic shock. “What are you talking about, Hera?”

“Remember last year when we were asked to help the Slavic pantheon sort out a matter for Jarilo?”

Zeus paused. “…sort of?”

Hera flashed him a dangerous glare. Hades knew what this meant. Zeus spent most of that time in the bed of some Slavic goddess or forest spirit. Hera leaned forward so she could see Demeter and Athena. 

“We can call in a diplomatic favor,” she explained to them. “We can find enough qualified judges and handle this like civilized people.”

Zeus groaned. Apollo leaned over and whispered something to him and he whispered something back. 

“Fine,” the King of the Gods assented, “but Astraea picks who will sit with her, and because she knows our laws she presides over the entire proceeding. Does anyone have an objection to this?” Nobody answered. “Then it’s settled.” 

Demeter raised her hand. “One more thing. I ask you to reconsider sending my daughter with… _ him_.” She gestured vaguely at Hades. 

Hades ran a hand through his hair. _ Of course she would_, he thought, his heart sinking at the thought that he might not be able to see Kore anymore. Then he reminded himself, _But it's also for the best._

Zeus shook his head. “That’s out of the question. We already argued this.”

“She’s a novitiate of TGOEM,” Hestia added. “We know how you Sons of Kronos are.”

Everyone looked at Hades. He wanted to protest, say he was not like his idiot brothers. But was he? And would anyone believe him? He rubbed his temples and thought of something.

“I-I have a spare condo in the Underworld. It’s not occupied right now.” More stares and raised eyebrows. “It’s n-not like that!” he protested. “It’s not Minthe’s. It was one of the properties I was renting out. It doesn’t have a tenant.” He regarded Demeter apprehensively. “P-Persephone can stay there, if that would ease your mind.”

“If any harm comes to her…” Demeter didn’t finish her sentence, but instead brandished her sickle menacingly.

Zeus clapped his hands. “Good! That’s settled. Let’s get out of here. I need lunch.”

Everyone began to stand. “Oh,” Zeus added, making everyone stop. “Going forward I will be serving as Apollo’s counsel.”

Hera stood, slamming her hands on the conference table, her blue eyes flashing with unbridled rage. “Are you fucking kidding me!?”

“Not in your wildest dreams, my love,” Zeus returned with a smirk.

Meanwhile, Persephone sat in her chair, Eros trying his best to console her. He went to work giving her a manicure, explaining that beauty routines were how he would sometimes deal with stressful situations. He would periodically ask her how she was feeling or if she needed anything. Even though she could say nothing now, she was immensely grateful for everything the God of Love did.

In the conference room, people were arguing her fate, including _ Apollo_, but she was not allowed to participate. While she knew Demeter, Hades, Hecate, and Hera seemed eager to protect her interests, nobody bothered to ask her what she wanted. It was just more of the same: everyone else deciding what is good for her. She desperately wanted Hades to stay with her, but if she couldn’t speak for herself, she would rather he was in the conference room.

“Hey Little Kore,” Ares said after a while, “if they screw this up on you, why don’t you take justice into your own hands?” 

Persephone gritted her teeth. Why was the God of War trying to push her buttons now, of all times?

“You have a name to live up to,” he goaded. It was almost a taunt. 

She spoke for the first time in what felt like an eternity. “Can it, Ares.”

The bronze god smirked mischievously. "Come on, Apollo has been asking for it for _years_. And you'd look so hot covered in his blood." Aphrodite elbowed him at that last part.

_ Apollo has been asking for it all __right, _she told herself. But she couldn't just do whatever she wanted. So, instead, she scowled at Ares with crimson eyes. "I said: _C__an it, Ares_."

Ares held his hands up in surrender. “As you wish, Bringer of Death.” Persephone bristled.

“Don’t listen to him, honey,” Eros told her, applying the final coat of polish to her nails. Then, he lowered his voice even more. “Please, Persephone, you need to tell someone about what Apollo did. Your freedom is on the line.”

Persephone met his gaze, but she slumped in her chair. 

“Listen to me,” Eros almost pleaded, “I know what Zeus’ punishments look like. You don’t want that. They’re worse than death.” There was a chill behind his voice, as if he had some familiarity with this.

She sighed. “I’ll figure this out, okay?” she whispered to him.

Just then, people started exiting the conference room. Persephone did not turn to look at anyone. There was an imminent storm, and the one outside would not rival it. She could see their reflections in the window. She watched Demeter approach her.

“Kore,” she said in an even, too-calm tone, “let’s go.” The calm before the storm.

Persephone hazarded a question. “Where—“

Demeter whirled around and her face was suddenly in Persephone’s. “Let’s. Go.”

Persephone stood and obeyed, lowering her head. Eros looked on helplessly. Persephone walked slowly behind her mother, shuffling despondently. Eros warned her about Zeus’ punishments, but Eros didn’t know Demeter.

“_You little fucking bitch!_” Artemis roared suddenly, hurling herself towards Persephone. Tears of rage streamed down her cheeks. “_How fucking dare you!?_” 

Persephone braced herself, but Demeter stepped in. The Goddess of the Harvest didn’t say a word. She didn’t have to. Her furious glare and sickle still in hand was enough warning to cause Artemis to stumble back. Zeus motioned for her to join her twin in his office. 

"Fine!" Artemis raged as she stormed off to join Apollo.

Demeter turned to Hades. “Text me the address.” 

Hades simply nodded. He watched the pair leave. Persephone walked as if she was heading to her own execution. He winced, imagining the wrath he knew Demeter was capable of unleashing, on her own daughter. He noted the look of sheer disappointment and fury on the green goddess’s face. It reminded him of his own upbringing—or lack thereof, really—and it made him hurt for Persephone. He felt as if his insides were ripping in half. There was what he wanted to do—which was to take on everyone in the room if he must, to make the despondent pink goddess smile again—and what he knew he needed to do. He didn't even know if she wanted him to intervene, as desperately as he wanted to.

As the lobby cleared, Eros stood and approached Hades. “Are you going to be all right big guy?”

Hades started. “Huh? W-what are you t-talking about?” he stammered.

Eros pinched the bridge of his nose in frustration. “I’m the God of Love, Hades. I can read lovesick idiots like a book.”

Nearby, Hecate stifled a laugh. Hades cast her a dirty look. _ Traitor_, he scoffed internally.

“What’s going to happen to her?” Eros asked.

Hades raised an eyebrow. Was Eros Persephone’s suitor? Eros immediately recognized what Hades was thinking.

“It’s not like that, Hades.” The rose-colored god rolled his eyes. “I don’t like her like that. We’re friends. She’s the best friend I have right now.”

Hades sighed and leaned against the wall. “Astraea will handle the case. Zeus is representing Apollo. Persephone has to remain in the Underworld until this is all over.”

Eros wriggled his eyebrows excitedly. “Oh good for you, you sly dog!” He elbowed the older god playfully.

“What?” Hades was taken aback. “No! S-she’s an eternal virgin.” Eros regarded him with skepticism and crossed arms. Did Eros know something he didn’t? “S-she’s going to h-have her own p-place.”

“I see,” the love god mused thoughtfully, putting his hand on his chin. After a moment, he spoke. “Is it furnished? This place?”

Hades raised an eyebrow. He was catching on to what Eros was getting at. “No, it’s e-empty. The tenant moved out last month and I haven’t found a new replacement.”

“Why don’t we help her with that?” Eros suggested.

How could Hades say no to that, even if it meant spending time with Eros? After all, Kore was a beautiful lady who would need beautiful lady things.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In the OG myths (unconfirmed as of yet in LO canon), Kronos castrated his father, Ouranus (a/k/a Uranus), with a golden sickle. Demeter later obtained the sickle in Sicily, and it became one of her symbols in ancient religious art and ceremonies.
> 
> Oleander and hemlock are very beautiful but very poisonous. Hemlock is what was used to execute Socrates.


	4. Assistance

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Persephone has a difficult conversation with Demeter. Hades finds himself in an awkward situation.

Persephone quietly sat in the passenger seat of her mother’s car, watching the rain crashing against the windows in torrential sheets. No words passed between them during the drive to Artemis’ apartment. As they stood in Persephone’s room, gathering what they could pack for now, Demeter worked silently. Persephone grew increasingly nervous. The longer her mother was silent, the worse she knew the eventual outburst would be. Persephone had not eaten anything all day, and yet she still felt like she wanted to throw up.

“Where are your school books?” Demeter finally spoke, brusquely, looking around in exasperation.

Persephone reeled. She knew what would happen if she said the truth, but she was used to hiding things from her mother.

“Already in the Underworld, mama,” she replied, which wasn’t a complete lie. “I study on breaks.”

Demeter squinted her eyes, appraising her child. “Well that leaves one less box to carry, I suppose,” she huffed.

Persephone nodded and returned to packing her clothes into a duffel bag.

“What’s going on between you and Eros?”

Persephone braced herself: Demeter was going to erupt soon. “Nothing mama, we’re just friends.”

“You two were _very_ close.”

Persephone angrily shoved her bras into the duffel bag. “Close,” she huffed, “as _friends_.” Demeter scowled. “He’s in love with someone else. We don’t like each other like that. Eros has been helping me adjust to Olympus.”

“He’s a _love god_, Kore. You have to be careful! Your reputation—“

Persephone bristled. The red vines around her head grew thorns. Her eyes flashed crimson. “I don’t think going on a shopping trip with Eros could do any more damage—“

Demeter stomped towards Persephone, towering over her. “_I wonder whose fault that is_?” she snarled. “You put yourself in this mess! This is what happens when I leave you on your own!?”

_Whose fault, huh? _Persephone sneered inside. But she knew she could not tell Demeter about what Apollo did and why this is his fault. No good could possibly come from it. “I’m not a child mama, I can handle—“

“Oooooh yes, you can handle things all right!” Demeter threw her hands in the air in exasperation. “Look how well you handled whatever silly little vendetta you had with Apollo!”

Persephone slammed down the full, unzipped duffel bag, random garments falling onto the floor. “I had a good reason to get revenge on Apollo!” _Oops._

Demeter paused. Her expression changed. “Kore, did he… did he _hurt_ you?” Her voice was suddenly soft. It was like an entirely different person was standing where her mother stood.

Persephone froze, staring at her mother like a deer staring at headlights. _Shit._ Her lips moved but no words would escape. How would she explain this to Demeter? What if Demeter, unlike Eros, doesn’t think what happened was rape? But she really didn’t want to go through with it, so it must be, right? But would Demeter understand that?

Demeter grew angry again, but she strode to Persephone and pulled her into an embrace. “He hurt my baby?” she whispered, stroking Persephone’s hair.

Persephone simply buried her face against her mother and heaved a shuddering sigh. She fought against tears. The red vines in her hair withered away, replaced by pink carnations and daisies. Demeter held her daughter like this for several minutes. At long last, she spoke again.

“So he hurt you, and you were acting in just retribution?”

Persephone uttered a muffled affirmation against her mother’s dress suit. Demeter placed a hand on each of Persephone’s shoulders and held her at arm’s length, inspecting her. Persephone watched her mother’s pained expression as she seemed to be processing an inner battle between rage and sadness.

“I never should have let you leave,” she sighed wistfully. “Look what you’ve gotten yourself into.” She paused, and with one hand, she wiped away a tear that rolled down Persephone’s cheek. Persephone noticed her mother’s own glassy eyes. “When I’m done with Apollo he will be eating out of a straw,” Demeter finally vowed with a hiss.

“Mama,” Persephone began, “I need to handle this. I’ve got—“

“No, Kore, you’ve handled quite enough.”

Persephone bit her lip. She loved her mother, but she loved the independence she had since moving to Olympus, even if these past few weeks have also been filled with difficult moments. There were good moments, too. And good friends, like Eros, Megaera, Hades—her heart skipped a beat as she thought about him—and, until now, Artemis. Persephone could feel her freedom slipping away, and that terrified her more.

“No Mama,” the pink goddess corrected sternly, “my name is Persephone.”

“Right. _Persephone_,” Demeter huffed. “Well, _Persephone_, I will stay with you in your condo-prison in the _Underworld_—“ Demeter visibly cringed at the thought “—and when this is all over, you’re coming back home, to Sicily.”

Persephone pulled back. “No, I am not. I love school. I love my job. I have friends. I’ve worked too hard for all of this. It’s not fair to just give it all up.”

“What good is all of this if you can’t handle yourself?”

“How will I learn to handle myself if you never give me a chance to learn!?” Persephone was incensed. The flowers encircling her head withered away and the red thorny vines returned. “I’m a woman, Mama, not some show pony for you to parade around! I’m not just a face on a box of cereal! I’m my own person! I have a mind of my own!”

“Is that so?” Demeter’s nostrils flared. “So you spend a few weeks in Olympus and now you have no need for your poor mother?”

“What?! No! Mama—“

“Think of all the sacrifices I’ve made for you, Kore. Everything I do, I do for your benefit. You’re my baby—“

“I haven’t been a baby for _nineteen damned years_, Mama!”

“You watch your tone with me—“

“I’m a grown woman—“

“And that’s why you’re getting cozy with all these men, threatening your chances of becoming an eternal maiden, putting yourself in—in _danger_, and what would that do to the family brand—“

Persephone felt something snap within her. She began floating. Her hair, growing again, snaked out of the braids Eros styled for her, and flowed around her with a life of its own. Red, thorny vines poured out among her tresses, snaking ominously towards her mother.

Demeter narrowed her eyes. “You wouldn’t dare, you little ingrate—“

_That_ word. That word again. Persephone hated that word. She hated being accused of being ungrateful for something she never wanted, something that was forced on her against her will. The tendrils of hair and vines snaked around the room, grabbing various bits of furniture, and like a constrictor swirled and squeezed until they began crunching and cracking bookshelves and desk and bed legs.

This was a show of strength, and Persephone knew that Demeter understood this.

“No, _mother_, I wouldn’t,” she growled in a voice that was darker, more ominous, “but understand that I’m not the helpless child you think I am.” Demeter took a step back, shocked. “I do not need to be coddled. I do not need my roots and branches pruned. You are stunting my growth.”

“Ko-Persephone, I—“ Demeter stammered, but Persephone interrupted her.

“Stop. Treating. Me. Like. A. Child.”

Persephone glowed and opened her mouth to scream, but instead a swarm of bees escaped. They circled around her head, obediently, threatening.

“Apollo started this war,” Persephone announced, “but I am quite capable of finishing it.”

Demeter stood there in stunned silence. They stared at each other for the span of several heartbeats, the only sound in the room the buzzing of the bees. Persephone refused to yield. Demeter, just as steadfast, was the one to yield this time.

“Daughter of mine,” she sighed, “you truly are my daughter.” Demeter held out her arms and took a step towards the floating goddess. Persephone did not budge. “Very well, we will try this your way.”

Persephone hesitated. She hovered lower to the floor. “Let me do things _my way_,” she repeated.

Demeter nodded, and then spoke with wistfulness in her voice. “Yes, I will let you try this your way.”

Persephone cocked her head. “But…?” She knew there was a ‘but’ involved.

“But… if it doesn’t work, or if something happens to you,” Demeter said, drawing her daughter toward her, ignoring the bees, “then I’m doing things my way.”

The bees dissipated. Persephone fell into her mother’s embrace once more. This was a compromise she could deal with.

“I love you, Little Bean,” Demeter whispered.

“I love you, too, Mama.”

Their tender moment was interrupted by a knock at the apartment door. Demeter and Persephone exchanged puzzled glances. Demeter moved to answer the door, but Persephone grabbed her arm.

“Let me handle this,” she reminded the green goddess.

Demeter assented, but lingered nearby. Persephone opened the door. Megaera immediately greeted her with a tearful hug. Alecto and Tisiphone stood behind the lilac fury and looked at Persephone with concern.

“We came to check on you, Perse,” Alecto explained.

“And the boss said you might need help moving your things out,” Tisiphone added, gesturing to a moving van parked at the curb.

"We would've come even if he didn't ask," Alecto put in.

“It’s good to see you all,” Persephone told the Furies with a smile. “Please, come in, before you get soaked.”

Demeter regarded the exchange quizzically. Alecto approached Demeter to greet her.

“Hi, Demeter,” the yellow fury smiled, “it’s been a while.” She cocked her head towards Persephone, who was chatting happily with Megaera as she led her to her room. “We know Persephone from work. She’s a good kid. She’s been a good friend to Meg.”

“I see,” Demeter responded thoughtfully. She listened to Tisiphone praise Persephone’s “fury look” with a shudder, and Megaera praising the cracked furniture. “Alecto,” her voice was filled with concern, “why does Hades have such an interest in her?”

Alecto flashed her a toothy grin. “Persephone is well-liked in the Underworld,” she replied simply, following her sisters.

Demeter paused, processing the fury’s cryptic response, and the fact that Persephone apparently had a close friendship with the furies.

She heard a phone ring and Persephone answered. _Since when did she get a phone?_ Demeter approached the room.

“Hi Hades!” she heard Persephone say. The excitement in her daughter’s tone was unsettling. “Oh that sounds great, actually.” Persephone continued. “Sure, I’ll tell Mama, I’m sure she’ll be happy with that arrangement… Talk to you later… Bye.”

“Tell Mama what?” Demeter interjected.

“Oh—“ Persephone seemed startled, as if her mind was elsewhere. “Hades said there is a nymph about my age who will be starting work at Underworld Corp. as my assistant, and asked if I wanted to share the condo with her. I said yes.” Demeter raised an eyebrow. “I thought you would like that,” Persephone shrugged, hefting her duffel bag across her shoulder at the same time, “and a roommate sounds good. She grew up in the mortal realm, too.”

Demeter considered this, and ultimately sighed with relief. A nymph tagging along with Persephone at work and at home was the arrangement they had in Sicily, after all. “Of course I’m fine with it.”

*****

“Oh this will be perfect,” Eros crooned, running his hands across a plush blue sofa. He took one of the warehouse tags near the display and tossed it into the shopping basket with the other furniture tags.

Hades buried his face in his hands. This shopping trip with Eros was the worst idea he ever agreed to go along with. Shoppers regarded the two gods with confusion as they passed through the posh Olympian department store, and Hades simply glowered at them. Everything was too bright and cheery and… peopley.

_Go away_, he told the gawkers mentally.

Eros was way too energetic for him right now, and so enthusiastic about spending someone else’s money, which should not have surprised him. But, Hades reminded himself, they were doing this for Persephone. He knew that Eros, being a friend of Persephone’s, had reliable insight. If Eros said this would cheer Persephone up, he would make himself go along with it.

Hades’ eye spotted a rack of fluffy white bathrobes and imagined what Persephone might look like wearing only that robe. He felt a warmth that was too uncomfortable for such a public place and blushed, trying to look at something else that would take his mind off those inappropriate thoughts. His eyes fell upon a rack beyond the bathrobes.

_Oh Gaia help me,_ Hades groaned internally as he realized he was looking at lingerie and immediately imagining how Persephone’s supple pink form would look beneath the black lace. _Stop being a filthy old man._

He walked away, looking for something safe. He found himself among bath accessories. Surely that’s safe, right? Except it wasn’t. He found his mind wandering again, wondering if Persephone sang in the shower, how she would look in his giant bathtub, surrounded by her sweet-smelling flower petals… He wiped his face in his hands.

He scolded himself. _Stop being a pervert. _

Finally he set his eyes on the distance, trying not to think of anything, not even what Eros might be up to. But then his mind wandered to last night, with Persephone falling asleep against him. He could still feel the sensation of her small body against his, and could still smell her floral scent. He wanted to hope it meant something more than simply that she was tired.

“Oh, fancy seeing you here, Hades.”

Hades was interrupted from his reverie. It was Aphrodite, sauntering towards him.

“Yeah, I’m sure this is a coincidence,” he retorted sarcastically, annoyed.

Aphrodite feigned offense. “Oh, you act as if chance encounters don’t happen now?” she purred.

Hades ignored her games. “What do you want, Aphrodite?”

The purple goddess stood beside him. “I see you’ve taken my son shopping.”

“Obviously,” he grumbled. They both eyed Eros further down the store, deciding between two desks. “_What do you want_, Aphrodite?”

“Straight to business, as usual, huh?” Aphrodite sighed and crossed her arms. “I did you a solid with Persephone,” she began, “and you owe me one.”

Hades scoffed. “You did it to _punish_ her for something _I_ said. That’s hardly a favor.”

Aphrodite waved her hand dismissively. “And yet with the events that have unfolded since then, you now have the woman you pine for moving into your realm, under your care, in such close proximity. And from what I hear, you two have grown quite close. You’re welcome.”

Hades raised a skeptical eyebrow.

“And now I need your help in return.” Aphrodite sounded more earnest now. Almost worried.

“I’m not letting any shade out of the Underworld, and you know that. I don’t care how much their lover misses them.”

“No, Hades, nothing like that.”

Hades watched Eros disappear further down the store. “It’s about the mortal you’re trying to pass off as a nymph, isn’t it?” he asked. “Zeus is finally catching on?”

Aphrodite bit her lip and looked at him, pleading.

“No, absolutely not." He waved his hands in protest. "I’m not hiding her. You deal with your own problems.” He almost would have preferred if he had asked him about a shade.

Aphrodite smirked. “It helps you, too, Hades.”

Hades glowered. “How could this nonsense _possibly_ help me?”

“Don’t you think Demeter would be less likely to hover around Persephone if she had a responsible woman for a roommate? Maybe even an assistant?”

Hades groaned in resignation. Aphrodite had a point. Persephone had told him before that Demeter would not let her go anywhere without a nymph escort.

Aphrodite continued. “Imagine how things would be if Demeter was up your ass because of all of this?”

Hades crossed his arms and scowled. Of course, he conceded to himself, this probably would get Demeter off Persephone’s back and, with any luck, his. Besides, he told himself, it wasn't purely selfish to want Demeter out of the way: Persephone implied several times she preferred not being under her mother's thumb.

“Fine,” he sighed. “But only for as long as Persephone is dealing with all this nonsense. This is for her sake, not yours and not the mortal’s. And only if Persephone agrees with it." He paused, figuring out what to do with this mortal. "Is this girl of yours capable?”

Aphrodite nodded. “She is, actually. She’s been accompanying me when I perform my duties in the mortal realm. She’s very creative, literate, and catches on quickly. I’m sure you can find some use for her.”

Hades mulled this. He knew Persephone could use an assistant, as she had been taking on more projects than any other intern he had ever seen. Hecate would probably chew him out, because interns don’t get assistants, but surely she could see his reasoning behind this? And Persephone is not just any intern.

“Oh, one more thing,” Aphrodite added. Hades frowned, expecting another equally ridiculous demand, but he was surprised instead. “Eros must figure out who she is on her own. You can’t tell him, and if Persephone figures it out, neither can she.”

“Are you serious?” Hades asked, raising an eyebrow. “That’s stupid—“

“I don’t think you realize how much you owe me, Hades,” Aphrodite responded, sashaying towards her son. “Besides, you’re going to owe me more since I’m also going to help you get that little apartment fixed up perfectly for your crush so you can look good.”

Burying his face in his hands again, Hades groaned. _What have I gotten myself into?_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have a confession. I'm throwing another wish fulfillment into this fic: Psyche and Persephone as roomies. I couldn't think of a way to write it on its own that would be interesting for y'all (I don't have the skills yet and we have some amazing fic writers who are better at slice of life stuff), so I decided to roll it into here.
> 
> Bees! Bees feature heavily in the Eleusinian Mysteries (the cult of Demeter and Persephone) because of their roles as pollinators and their obvious connection to agriculture. In the OG myths, bees were associated with the Underworld through Persephone and the ancient Greeks believed she could control bees (one of her nicknames was also the “honeyed one”). Bees scare the crap out of me so I figured a swarm of bees that obeyed her will would be incredibly terrifying.


	5. Property Damage

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Persephone meets with Athena and Hecate to come up with a defense strategy.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> CONTENT WARNING: This chapter goes into detail discussing Persephone's rape. Please read at your own discretion.

Never had a cheap convenience store salad looked so good. Persephone wolfed down the salad, almost in desperation. She didn’t realize how hungry she was. She sat with her mother, Athena, and Hestia, planning the next steps of her case. She had a new change of clothes, her hair cropped once more into a pixie cut, and a soothing cup of tea.

Back at Artemis’s apartment, the Furies generously offered to unload her things at her new apartment for her, and get things set up, so that she wouldn’t wear herself out. She made a mental note to find out what their favorite dessert was.

While eating, Persephone surreptitiously texted Hecate to inform her about what was going on. She still wasn’t sure if Athena would have her interests at heart, and she knew she could count on Hecate to look out for her and to be less likely to treat her like a child. She didn’t expect the Goddess of Witchcraft and Crossroads to show up at Athena’s office, but she was glad she did, even if Hestia threw a fit.

“There is no reason for you to be here,” Hestia complained. “Zeus discharged you.”

“I want Hecate here,” Persephone interrupted. “Is there a rule against her helping us?”

“No, there is not,” Hecate smiled at Persephone.

Hestia turned to Athena angrily, almost pouting. Athena shrugged.

“There isn’t,” the silver goddess admitted, shifting her shoulder as her owl flew from her perch to land there. “Besides, Hecate has been the best counselor Hades could ever ask for, and we could use a mind like hers for a case like this.”

“I see no problem with another friend helping my daughter,” Demeter agreed.

“Fine,” Hestia huffed. Then she turned to Hecate. “But if you interfere with TGOEM’s interests, you’re out.”

“I’m just here for Persephone and protecting her interests,” Hecate returned coolly, seating herself next to the pink goddess. “That’s my only agenda. I don’t care about your organization.”

Athena placed a hand on Hestia’s arm. “You know,” she said warmly, “we could use some more tea.”

“Fine.” With another protesting huff, Hestia flounced out of Athena’s office to the nearby break room.

“So,” Athena continued, steepling her fingers pensively, “we need to think about your defense strategy, Persephone.”

“Why am I not allowed to defend myself?” Persephone complained, crossing her arms. “It isn’t fair.”

Athena gave her a sad, sympathetic smile. “I know it’s not fair, but it is the law.”

Persephone leaned forward, her eyes glassy, red vines sprouting among her tresses. “So Apollo can speak for himself, but someone has to speak for me?”

“The only women allowed by the ancient laws to speak in open court,” Hecate explained, “are high-ranking goddesses.”

_And I’m just a redundant minor goddess who wouldn’t be missed, _Persephone told herself. But the way Hecate explained the laws made Persephone suspect there was more to it than that. And she thought about what Hades said in a time that felt like so long ago now: Spring was better with her handling it. As she processed all this, Hecate seemed to read the pink goddess’s contemplative expression and gave her a slight wink. _What’s that about? _Persephone wondered.

“Persephone said that Apollo hurt her,” Demeter cut in, squeezing her daughter’s hand. “Is there any use to that?”

Hecate looked at Persephone with worry. Athena rested her chin on her steepled fingers and hummed thoughtfully.

Persephone bit her lip and slumped backwards in her chair. She could hear Eros’ words: _you need to tell somebody._ She looked at her hand, enveloped in Demeter’s. _I want to tell them, _she told the Eros in her head, _but I don’t know how. And I don’t know how Mama will react. And what if they don’t see it the way you did?_ She felt shame overwhelm her.

Hecate spoke up, abnormally sweetly. “Demeter, why don’t you go help Hestia with that tea?”

Demeter bristled. “I’m not leaving Kore alone.”

“Demeter, my dear child,” the ancient Goddess of Witchcraft and Crossroads smiled, her eyes, however, glowing a bright, menacing yellow, “I’ll look after _Persephone_. I _really_ think Hestia could use your help.”

They stared at each other, neither one looking at the other maliciously, but Persephone could feel the tension building between the two powerful goddesses. She wasn’t sure what Hecate had planned, but she acknowledged to herself that she would be able to be more honest with Athena if her mother wasn’t here.

Athena seemed to have read the room, too, as she spoke again with her even, calming tone. “Demeter, as the mother of the accused, you might be called to be a witness,” she explained gently. Persephone could feel the tension easing between Demeter and Hecate. “If we want to do our best job of protecting Persephone’s interests, you’re going to have to trust that, as a young woman, she is capable of discussing her case with us without your presence.”

Demeter tensed again, gritting her teeth audibly. Athena ignored her and continued.

“We all want to do what is best for Persephone. I will not be able to advocate for her effectively if she cannot discuss things with me because she is in the presence of a potential witness who could be forced to testify about these very discussions on strategy.”

Demeter’s eyes darted between Hecate and Athena. She kept her hand on Persephone’s protectively.

“Mama,” Persephone spoke, reassuringly placing her other hand on top of Demeter’s, “we agreed, remember? Let me handle this.”

Demeter hesitated, but, after the passing of several tense moments, finally sighed with a weak smile. “Very well, my darling child,” she whispered with resignation, using her other hand to tenderly brush an errant hair out of Persephone’s eye. “But the minute things go sideways, you come get me, okay?”

Persephone smiled. “Okay, Mama.”

The tall green goddess planted a gentle kiss on Persephone’s forehead and excused herself to the break room, closing the door to Athena’s office behind her. Athena turned to Hecate.

“I assume you had a good reason for wanting Demeter out of here?” the Goddess of Wisdom asked.

“I did,” Hecate answered. “You have something to tell us, Persephone? Something you looked like you were not going to tell Demeter?”

Persephone gulped. Her heart raced and her stomach twisted again. Yes, she did have something to say, but was she ready to talk about it? _You need to tell someone,_ the Eros in her head reminded her again. _But I’m terrified,_ she told the imaginary Eros. Then she heard another voice in her head. _I, for one, find you terrifying._ It was Hades. Her stomach stopped knotting, and instead was replaced by a wave of warmth that overcame her. She remembered that afternoon on the Beach as if it was yesterday. Hades told her she was intelligent and powerful. She recalled the evening in Hera’s garden, when he advised against calling herself a dumb village girl. _I’m terrifying,_ she assured herself, _and powerful and strong and intelligent. I’m not just a redundant goddess or a dumb village girl._

_But if I say what happened, it becomes real._

“Oh, it smells like tea is ready,” Hecate remarked gently, and snapped her fingers, summoning the teapot from the break room. She poured fresh tea into Persephone’s cup. While Persephone gathered her inner strength, Hecate summoned a teacup for herself, poured herself a cup of tea, and then snapped again, making the teapot disappear, presumably back to the break room.

_It is already real,_ Persephone reminded herself. _People won’t know what happened unless I tell them. It won’t be real to them until I tell them._

She heaved a shuddering breath, steeling her nerves. She thought about Apollo’s smug smirk in the courtroom. She wanted to wipe his face on the floor and wipe that smirk off of him. _I need to do this if I want my justice. I’ve got this._ Taking a sip of the soothing herbal tea, holding her cup with shaking hands, she began. Her voice trembled as she spoke, but there was a hint of fierce determination in her tone as well. She couldn’t look at either Hecate or Athena, so she stared into her tea.

“It was my first week in Olympus. The day after the Panathenaea, after Aphrodite… put me in Hades’ car… Artemis was having movie night. Hermes and… “ Her voice trailed off and she swallowed, fighting against her nervousness. “And Apollo. Artemis invited them over for movie night. Looking back, I know what it is now, but at the time I was too naïve to understand that Apollo was coming on to me.

Her voice shook less, and there was more anger behind it. “He was annoying, and I kept asking him to leave me alone, but I also didn’t want to be rude to the brother of my host, so maybe I wasn’t firm enough? I couldn’t stay up to finish the movie, so I excused myself to bed early. I don’t know how long I was asleep, but Apollo—“ her voice began to shake again, and a tear streamed down her cheek despite herself “—came into my room and forced himself on me. I kept asking him to leave me alone, but he kept insisting and kept taking my clothes off even when I tried to stop him, and he wouldn’t stop pestering me until I finally said ‘okay.’ He did what he wanted and even…”

Her voice trailed off again, so she took another sip of tea to steady her thoughts. “He took pictures while he was doing it. And then he left, just like that. Like I was nothing. I felt so—so helpless.”

She glanced up at the two goddesses giving her counsel. Both Athena and Hecate sat silently, tears streaming down pained expressions. Seeing these two goddesses, both known for their strength, looking so heartbroken made her lose her composure. She began sobbing into her tea. Hecate leaned over and placed a consoling hand on Persephone’s shoulder.

Persephone nodded, took a few steadying breaths, and continued. “He kept harassing me after that, too. He would show up at my school uninvited. He wanted _that_ again, and I told him no, and when he pressed this time Cerberus came to my rescue.”

Athena and Hecate exchanged glances that seemed to be a mixture of surprise and something else that Persephone could not pinpoint. The Goddess of Spring went on, her voice steadying, growing more resolute. Red thorns sprouted along the vines in her hair. Now that she got through the worst part, putting into words what happened to her, this began to feel easier.

“He kept texting me. He would show up all the time at Artemis’s, especially when she wasn’t home. He kept calling me ‘his girl’ and I’m not _his girl_. He just wouldn’t leave me alone. So one night when he showed up unexpectedly, I was so—so _tired_ of him _taking_ things from me. He took my freedom, he took my privacy, he took my virginity. I decided to take something from him. So I took his—his stupid _experimental harp_.” She enjoyed how ruffled Apollo became when Hades called it that, so it became her nickname for the lyre as well. “I had to fight back. I had to do something. Telling him to leave me alone wasn’t doing it.”

Athena smirked slightly, looking a little proud. “So you declared war?” she asked with interest.

Persephone nodded. “I did.”

She and Hecate sipped their tea. Athena rested her hands on her chin again, deep in thought. The three of them sat silently for several minutes, Athena and Hecate visibly processing the information presented to them, and Persephone shifting from determined to anxious that perhaps she said too much.

“Thank you for telling us,” Hecate said suddenly, “and you are very brave.”

“And what Apollo did was not your fault,” Athena added. Persephone let out a deep sigh of relief. “You did not consent, you were raped.”

That word again. She still was afraid to say that word. They all fell silent again while Persephone collected herself.

“What about my scholarship?” she asked Athena. “Does this disqualify me from TGEOM?”

Athena frowned and sighed. “Yes, but we will deal with that later. Right now, this is more important. One problem at a time.”

“I’m sure we can help you figure out a way to stay in school,” Hecate assured her, “but Athena is right. School won’t matter if you lose this trial.”

“What Apollo did to you is completely unforgiveable,” Athena told Persephone. “And I know it’s not right or even just, but the laws do not see this crime of Apollo’s the same way that we do. Because you haven’t been fully inducted as Goddess of Eternal Maidenhood, the laws against taking an eternal virgin won’t apply here.”

Persephone set her cup down. She looked at Hecate with large, worried eyes. “What’s she talking about?”

Hecate shook her head sadly. “You can bring up your rape as an argument in your defense, but it will not be easy given your difference in status. The law does not treat your retribution as righteous because Apollo is an Olympian and a man—“

“And I’m just a minor goddess?” Persephone’s eyes glistened, not with sadness, but anger.

“Well, hold on a moment,” Athena said. “The Goddesses of Eternal Maidenhood, as the party responsible for Persephone, may have a counterclaim against Apollo that could cancel this out.”

Hecate raised an eyebrow. “Are you talking about _moicheia_? How would that apply to TGOEM novitiate?”

“In lieu of an existing or future husband, it’s TGOEM that had rights vested in her,” the Goddess of Wisdom explained.

“What are you talking about?” Persephone asked, wholly confused.

“_Moicheia_ is the crime of adultery,” Hecate clarified, “of sex outside the marriage, but in the sense that the rape of a woman is considered destruction of the rights of her current or future husband—or in this case, the eternal maidens she was supposed to become initiated into.”

“So what you’re saying,” Persephone asked, “is the only defense I have under the law is for TGOEM—not even me—to argue that what happened to me was _property damage_?”

Athena and Hecate could only nod helplessly. Persephone sat, seething, not at them, but at the entire system.

“How is this justice?” she huffed.


	6. Delivery and Deliverance

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hades has an epiphany. Persephone and Psyche enjoy takeout with a friend.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the long wait! Work and life stuff happened. Anyways, here is the next installment. 
> 
> (I think there will be some formatting issues but I'll come back and fix them tonight, I'm just in a hurry to get to an appointment.)

Hades leaned in the doorway of Persephone’s office, puffing on a cigar in miserable contemplation. It was late in the evening, and the only employees still at Underworld Corp. were the custodial staff and security guards. The distant hum of a floor power washer was the only sign that he was not alone in Tower 1, and it was so faint that even the crackling burn of the tobacco in his cigar each time that he took a drag became overwhelming. The emptiness he felt—was it Persephone’s absence from the office? was it something more?—was stifling. He flicked on the light switch and the sudden humming of the fluorescent ceiling lights pierced the silence and nearly startled him.

Because recent events had pulled him, Hecate, _ and _ Persephone away from the office, he knew there would be a mountain of work waiting for them all, and work was always an effective distraction for him when life became overwhelming.

Hades puffed on his cigar again and stepped into her office. He inhaled the fragrant sweetness of the potted plants that decorated the room, their scent reminding him of her. His mind went to the memory of the night before, sleeping on the couch with the petite pink goddess resting against him, and the memory made his heart skip a beat. But then his mind traveled to the events of the day, to the wilted thing Persephone was in the courtroom, but also the steely resolve she seemed to display in Zeus’ office.

“What a fucking day,” he muttered to himself.

A lone pink petal lay on the seat of her chair, obviously shed by her the day before. He carefully picked it up and examined it. It was soft, like her skin.

His phone suddenly vibrated in his pocket, making him jump. The buzzing echoed louder than expected throughout the oppressively silent building. He dropped his cigar in his surprise, and then huffed in disappointment when he saw the caller ID.

“Hecate?” he answered.

“Hi Hades,” she replied. Her voice was sullen. 

He grew worried. “I-is everything all right?”

“Persephone is fine.” Hecate still sounded sad. “We have a solid defense strategy planned.”

“That’s good. What’s the game plan?”

Hecate let out a hesitant sigh. “That’s not my place to say.”

“Did…” Hades faltered as he pondered the possible facts that would amount to a strong defense for someone in Persephone’s situation. He felt suddenly weak and queasy and slumped into the petite goddess’s swivel chair, adjusted uncomfortably low to accommodate her height, causing him to sit with his knees bent near to his chest. He cradled the pink petal in his other hand, which slowly began to change to a deep, starry black hue. His mouth became dry. “Did that little shit _ hurt her_?”

“Hades…” He could hear Hecate’s own inner turmoil in her voice. “That’s not my story to tell.”

The two gods were silent for several painful moments. The hum of the overhead lights thrummed at the speed at which Hades’ pulse was racing. He thought about the unbridled possessiveness Apollo exhibited a few weeks ago. He seemed obsessed with Persephone, and she was absolutely terrified of him. _ If he hurt her… _ Hades squeezed his phone, unwilling to clench a fist around the delicate petal in his other hand. _ But she was getting her own revenge, _ he reminded himself. This calmed him a little. _ She is truly terrifying. _

Hades finally spoke. “Is that why you called?”

“No.” Hecate’s voice shuddered, as if she had been silently crying, or had her phone on mute so she could cry. “I—uh—Persephone is at her new condo. I’m just leaving. I saw you sent Hermes to bring her things from your townhouse?”

“I did.” Hades paused, suddenly realizing the playful messenger god may not be the best with discretion. “He didn’t rile up Demeter, did he?”

“No, thank Gaia. And I’m not going to ask how much you spent on your shopping trip with Eros and Aphrodite.” Hades cringed, knowing Hecate would wait another day to chastise him for that. “But iIt was set up nicely, and Persephone loved it, although I lied and said it came furnished.”

Hades snorted, carefully tucking the precious pink flower petal in his blazer pocket. He reached forward and picked up his cigar from the floor, surprisingly still lit, and took a drag. 

“I have no idea how long you’re going to hide your feelings for Persephone from Demeter,” Hecate went on, “but you are so obviously helpless and you know how Demeter will get when she figures you out. If you don’t want to fuck this up, try to think with the right head, ok?”

Hades blushed. “O-ok. But P-Persephone?”

“She’s overwhelmed, but I think she’ll be okay. The Erinyes were there to help her get settled in. So were Ares and Hermes—“ Hades felt himself flinch with jealousy at the mention of those names “—but Demeter chased them off. Cerberus was still there when I left.”

“Damn traitor,” Hades chuckled.

“But the reason I called, Hades, is—why does Persephone now have a roommate who’s also her assistant? And why is she a mortal disguised as a nymph?”

Hades gulped, nervous. “I-I—uh—i-it was Aphrodite’s idea, t-to placate Demeter, a-and I-I wanted to m-make sure P-Persephone had help when sh-she needed it.”

“I see,” Hecate replied in a tone that meant she had no idea why Hades did something like this. “Aphrodite said she had been her assistant and recommended her. And, Demeter did seem pleased with this arrangement, and she didn’t seem to notice the… _ irregularities _ of this ‘nymph’ Ampelus. She seems like a nice girl, though, and Persephone seems to have taken a liking to her.”

“That’s good to hear. Is-is Demeter still there?”

“No, actually.” Hecate sounded surprised. “She’ll be commuting in from the mortal realm for this trial. As for the mortal, we will need to have a chat about why she’s now on the Underworld Corp. payroll, but not today. And I told Persephone that she doesn’t have to come in to work tomorrow if she doesn’t want to.”

“That’s fine,” Hades told her. “I was thinking the same thing.”

“All right, well it’s been a long day, and tomorrow’s going to be another long one. I’m going to call it a night.”

“Have a good night, Hecate.”

“Try and get some rest, my friend. Bye.” She ended the call.

Hades looked at his phone and took another puff of his cigar. He considered sending a text to Persephone, but then told himself that she was probably too overwhelmed to want to hear from him. With a sigh, he stuffed his phone back in his pocket. 

He set back to what he came here to do: checking Persephone’s inbox to see what pressing matters he could handle or delegate for her. As he rifled through the memos and reports, from his awkward position in a chair too low for his height, his elbow brushed into a stack of papers by her keyboard, causing them to flutter to the floor. He turned and picked them up, and the handwritten title caught his eye.

“Shade Welfare and Fair Labor Proposal?” he read aloud. “Interesting.” He skimmed the bulleted outline, curiosity overwhelming his better judgment. He read one of the topic headings aloud: “Fair and equitable.” _ Fair and equitable. _ He mulled this. A bullet beneath that heading caught his eye and he read it out loud: “Sometimes rules need to be changed to be fair.”

Hades set the paper back on the desk and leaned back. “Fair and equitable,” he repeated. “Sometimes rules need to be changed to be fair.”

He left the rest of Persephone’s papers on her desk and stood. An idea had come to him. He started walking to the elevator, headed for his office. His phone buzzed in his pocket again. With a grumble, he pulled it out, but then stopped when he saw who was calling.

“H-h-hello, Persephone.”

*****

Persephone sighed as she stood in her doorway and watched her mother’s car drive away. The day was achingly overwhelming—in both good and bad ways. Court was bad. It was infuriating. But the way her friends all came through for her, and the way her mother actually _ listened _ to her for once—those things were not only good, but they were incredible. She was surprised to arrive at a fully, beautifully furnished condo, especially when Eros pulled her aside and told her with a wink that Hades had gone shopping with him. Her heart skipped a beat at that news, that he would do something like that for her, even if it made her feel guilty because it was one more favor he has done for her, on top of all the many other favors of late, and so much more special treatment. And it was something she needed. She was disappointed when she saw that Hades was nowhere to be found, although after watching how her mother treated Ares and Hermes when they arrived to help her move in, she realized that it was probably a good thing he did not come by.

Ampelus, her newly appointed roommate and assistant, seemed nice enough, although timid. Knowing how others treated Hades, Persephone was intrigued about why a nymph who was formerly Aphrodite’s personal assistant would want to come work in the Underworld. 

As she turned and closed the door, Persephone spotted the purple nymph sitting on the living room sofa. They smiled at each other.

“Hi roomie,” the pink goddess smiled, sitting beside her.

“Hello my lady,” Ampelus warmly smiled back. Then she added, “So, are you Eros’ girlfriend?”

“Me?” Persephone laughed. “Oh, no! We’re just good friends.”

“Oh, I see.” Ampelus seemed almost relieved. “Well, you’re very pretty, so I wouldn’t have been surprised.”

Persephone gave her another warm smile. “So are you.” 

In her usual friendly way, she reached out to take Ampelus’ hand affectionately. The moment their skin touched, Persephone paused. She could feel death surrounding the nymph, not immortality. She knew this feeling. It reminded her of home.

“H-How?” Persephone wondered, scrutinizing Ampelus curiously.

Ampelus fidgeted but did not pull away. “My lady?” She was clearly uncomfortable.

“You’re a mortal,” Persephone whispered at long last. “Why would Aphrodite disguise a mortal and keep her around?” Then she let go of Ampelus and covered her mouth excitedly. “Are you Psyche?” she blurted.

Ampelus looked terrified. She opened her mouth to answer, but no words escaped.

“You are!” Persephone was giddy. “Eros has said so much about you!”

“He has?” Ampelus asked hopefully. “Really?”

Persephone jumped up and tackled Psyche in a hug. “I can’t wait to tell Eros!” she squealed giddily. “He wants to see you.”

“No!” Psyche yelped, pulling away from Persephone, her eyes wide as saucers and the color drained from her skin. She looked terrified. “Please don’t!”

Persephone regarded Psyche curiously. “Do you not want to see him? Because of what happened?”

“I do want to see him, my lady!” Tears streamed down Psyche’s cheeks. “But Aphrodite said he must learn a lesson. Part of that lesson is finding me on his own.”

Persephone frowned. “I don’t understand that woman,” she grumbled. Then, she took Psyche’s hands. “Psyche, your secret is safe with me. I won’t tell anyone you don’t want me to tell. I swear to it.”

Psyche smiled, grateful, tears still staining her cheeks. “Thank you my lady.”

“You don’t have to call me that. Persephone is fine.”

Psyche threw herself into Persephone in a hug. “Thank you, Persephone. You are so kind.”

“I’m glad to have you—mortal you—here, actually,” Persephone confessed, pulling back to regard her roommate. “Did you know I grew up in the mortal realm?”

Psyche regarded her with curiosity, beaming. “Really? What part?”

“Sicily. What about you?”

“The same!”

Both women giggled and hugged again.

“I miss it sometimes,” Persephone confessed.

“Me, too,” Psyche agreed.

They chatted excitedly about the weather and the ocean and the local folk songs and dances and other things they missed about Sicily. Talking about home reminded Persephone of the evening she spent with Hades, when he told her that Sicily was home for him, too. 

“I-I need to make a phone call for just a moment,” Persephone finally said. Psyche regarded her apprehensively. “Oh, I just wanted to thank Hades for helping with all of this.” She gestured vaguely at the condo.

Psyche blanched. “Hades?”

“He’s so kind and sweet,” Persephone sighed dreamily. “He’s my f-friend.”

“The-the King of the Dead?” Psyche stammered.

“Yes!” Persephone grinned, stepping up from the couch. “I’ll be back.”

She stepped away into her new room and shut the door for privacy, calling Hades as she went. Hades almost immediately picked up.

“H-h-hello, Persephone,” he answered in almost a whisper.

“Hello,” the pink goddess replied. “A-are you okay? You sound tired. I’m sorry—“

“N-no! I’m fine!” Hades assured her. “How are you holding up?”

Persephone sighed and flopped onto her bed. “Could be better,” she admitted. They both chuckled. “But that’s not why I called.”

“W-what’s wrong, Sweetness?”

“Nothing is wrong, Hades. I just wanted to say thank you.”

“For w-w-what?”

“Eros told me about your shopping trip.”

“Oh.” Hades sounded worried. “I-I know you said no more special treatment b-but—“

“It’s okay, Hades,” she replied warmly. “I can’t lie, I don’t know where I would be if it weren’t for you. Probably back at Mama’s…” Her voice trailed off as she considered that avoided fate.

“R-Right. O-Of course.”

Persephone was interrupted by a knock on her door. “Hang on a moment,” she asked Hades. She opened the door. Psyche regarded her nervously.

“My la—Persephone,” Psyche began, “I’m sorry to interrupt you. There is no food in the house or anything to cook with.”

“Oh.” Persephone’s free hand instinctively fell to her stomach, realizing her own hunger pangs.

“Are you hungry?” asked Hades, apparently overhearing the conversation.

“Wha—I—” Persephone stammered. “I just need to run to the store.”

“I can have takeout delivered there,” he offered. “It would be faster, and you must be hungry.”

Persephone smiled. _ Of course you would. _ She felt guilty, but then she heard Psyche’s own stomach growling. She had a mortal in her care and she knew mortals could not go without food as long as gods could. She looked at Psyche apprehensively.

“Okay,” Persephone told him.

“Is your roommate also vegetarian?”

*****

Psyche answered the knock on their door and immediately flinched at who was on the other side.

“Hades!” Persephone exclaimed, rushing past Psyche to greet him. 

Psyche backed away, as if relieved that someone else was greeting the God of the Dead. Hades stood, smiling sheepishly, in the doorway with two bags of delicious-smelling food.

“Please come in,” Persephone beckoned. 

“Oh-oh I was just bringing—“

“Nonsense,” Persephone insisted. “I will not accept reducing the King of the Underworld to my personal delivery service.”

Hades was taken aback. _ I would be, for you, _ he thought. “I just ordered for you two.”

“Have you even eaten?” Persephone went on. Hades turned his gaze to the ground, embarrassed at being called out. “Then join us. Please.”

He looked up at the terrified mortal-disguised-as-a-nymph who had moved to the far end of the living room. Psyche regarded the tall blue god apprehensively. Then his eyes fell back upon Persephone. The pink goddess was clearly exhausted. He hated the world for making her look so weary. Relenting, he sighed and set the bags down on the coffee table.

“It smells amazing,” Persephone crooned. “What did you bring?”

“For you,” Hades began as he pulled out containers, “I have spanakopitas, vegetarian souvlaki, and yemista.” He gestured to each container as he spoke. “For Ampelus, I brought moussaka and lavraki. And there are dolmas, pita, and tzatziki.”

Persephone placed a hand on his, “That’s more than enough for the three of us. Please, sit.”

Persephone retreated to the kitchen to gather plates and glasses for water. Psyche followed behind her. 

“There was a bottle of wine in the refrigerator,” the purple nymph whispered to Persephone. “That was the only edible thing I found. But since we have a guest of his standing, it just seemed appropriate…”

Raising an eyebrow, Persephone regarded Hades with a mix of appreciation and annoyance. “Of course you would, Hades,” she muttered under her breath with a small smile. She turned to Psyche. “Sure. Do you know if we have an opener?”

Psyche nodded. She leaned closer to Persephone. “By the way, he knows, too. About me. I’ve overheard Aphrodite and him talk about me.”

Persephone brought the dishes to the coffee table, and Psyche followed with the wine bottle and corkscrew. They all plated their food and poured their drinks. Hades sat close to Persephone on the sofa, while Psyche tried to put as much distance as she could between herself and the God of the Dead, sitting in the chair further from his side of the sofa. Aphrodite had taught her to give deference to the kings and other gods of high status, and Hades being King of the _ Dead _ was still a terrifying prospect for her. Persephone and Hades began chatting lightheartedly about nothing in particular, with Psyche occasionally, timidly, chiming in. 

Psyche watched the pair’s interactions with growing curiosity. Seeing the King of the Dead in this way, doting over the petite goddess, the way he would reach out and touch her hand or shoulder or brush a stray hair from her eyes, made him seem less terrifying. He appeared nothing like the stories she grew up hearing. With Persephone, he seemed gentle and kind, as Persephone described.

Seeing the two gods like this reminded Psyche of what she had—and lost—with Eros. Tears began to sting her eyes.

“Did you know Hades is from Sicily, too?” Persephone asked her, picking up on Psyche’s sudden sadness.

“Oh!” Psyche was piqued. “I did not!”

Hades paused, regarding Persephone quizzically. “…You know?”

Persephone shrugged. “Apparently we both do.”

“Aphrodite doesn’t want you to know,” Hades warned her. “This will have to be our secret.”

“Of course,” Persephone told him, almost slyly, taking another swig of wine. She reclined against Hades with a surprising amount of familiarity, and Hades seemed to welcome the attention.

The pink goddess steered the conversation back to Sicily, to the things that make it special. Hades shared old stories about what the region was like when the world was new. There was a wistfulness to his voice. 

Eventually, everyone was yawning.

“I-I really should go so you both can get some sleep,” Hades finally said, standing, although it was clear from his tone and the way he brushed his knuckles against Persephone’s hand that he did not want to leave. 

“You need to get some sleep, too,” Persephone chided, floating up to brush his hair out of his face.

They both paused, staring at each other. Hades broke the reverie, almost out of duty.

“Y-You don’t have to come into work tomorrow if you don’t feel up to it,” he told Persephone.

Persephone regarded him thoughtfully. “But work might help to keep me distracted.”

“It’s entirely up to you,” he assured her. Then his face lit up with an idea. “But if you can’t get your mind off the trial, you might find that the Underworld has some valuable resources at your disposal.”

“Hades, you’ve already done enough—“

Hades gently placed a finger on her mouth, silencing her. “We aren’t at work, you can’t deny my gift,” he told her with a wry smile. “Besides, it’s not any _ thing _.”

Persephone cocked her head in confusion.

“Underworld Corp. houses an extensive law library,” he explained. He smiled as Persephone’s face suddenly brightened with understanding. “Not to mention, guess where all the great mortal philosophers go when they die?”

Persephone smiled widely, but then frowned. “But I can’t argue for myself,” she sighed, leaning into him with dejection as if the realization prevented her from flying. 

Hades lifted her chin with his hand, so that their eyes could meet. “You just need to find an equitable approach,” he assured her. “You’re smart. You can figure this out. I—a-and-and Hecate—are here to help you. You’ll find a way out of this.”

Persephone hugged him, and he wrapped his arms around her tightly. “Thank you,” she whispered, punctuated by another yawn.

“All right,” Hades said with regret as he pulled away from her, “I really should head home before I’m too tired to drive.”

She escorted him to the door. They lingered there, with the door open, neither one really wanting to bid farewell. It was Hades’ turn to yawn. They hugged once more, and then he left. Persephone closed the door behind her, but then lingered by the window to watch him leave in his sleek black sports car. 

Psyche, who remained in the living room, smiled knowingly at Persephone as she turned away from the window. 

“Friend, huh?” Psyche chuckled.

Persephone bit her lip, blushing. “It’s complicated.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm a little nervous because I'm not good at fluff, but it's been graciously betaed by irl friends and folks from the treehouse (Jessy, Ellisemme, and Julia B-squared), and I'm super thankful for them helping me with the struggle.
> 
> Also, all the Greek foods I listed are amazing and you need them in your life.


	7. Journey through Asphodel

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Psyche gets a tour of the Underworld. Persephone meets a shade.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for being patient with me while life took over. Sorry it took so long to get this chapter out! I want to thank VerdiWithin, porkiswayne, and ScarletInWonderland for being patient betas.

Droning chatter fell to hushed whispers as Persephone entered the massive doorway to Tower One. She could feel all eyes fall upon her as she walked through the lobby to the elevator. Psyche nervously trailed behind, taking in the sight of the grandiose building, the skitter of her shoes against the cold, tiled floor punctuating the gasps of the various Underworld Corp. underlings who spotted the pair. 

“That’s her,” someone whispered. 

“Why did she do it?” another whispered.

“Who’s the nymph with her?” asked someone else.

“Her days are numbered,” came yet another.

“Yeah, nobody tangles with an Olympian and gets away with it,” someone agreed.

Instinctively, Persephone reached behind herself and grabbed Psyche’s hand for reassurance. She wanted to sink into the floor until she disappeared, but at the same time she wanted to show the world that Apollo had not gotten the best of her. With a resolute sigh, she fought back tears and held her head high as she passed the desks of the receptionists, Sasha and Shana.

“I’m glad she’s taking on Apollo,” Persephone heard Shana, the green gorgon, whisper to Sasha.

“He’s philandering trash,” Sasha, the blue nymph, whispered back to Shana. “He deserves what he got.”

Persephone smiled at the exchange as she entered the elevator. She realized she was still holding Psyche’s hand and let go, muttering a quiet apology.

“To your office, Miss?” the attendant imp asked Persephone.

“Y-yes please, thank you,” Persephone replied, creating another daisy for the imp as a token of appreciation.

As she and Psyche exited the elevator and headed towards Persephone’s office, Persephone apologized again. “I’m not sure where Hades is planning on you working,” she explained, “so we will have to stop by his or Hecate’s office to get your assignment and get you situated, but I need to stop by my office first. I have to get some paperwork that I’ll need to take up to Hecate anyways.”

Psyche nodded in general understanding, although the importance of paperwork was still alien to her. As they rounded the corner to Persephone’s office, Persephone, who was paying attention to her companion and not where she was going, walked into Hades, knocking the papers he was holding out of his hands. As the papers fluttered around them, Hades reached out to catch Persephone instead.

“S-Sorry,” they both whispered to each other.

Persephone found her legs pressed against Hades’ body from the way he caught her in his arms, almost in a compromising position for both of them. She felt her face grow hot as she blushed deeply. She knew she needed to extricate herself from Hades’ arms, but she wanted to savor the moment. By his hesitation, and the way his cheeks flushed, she suspected he did, too. 

In the end, Hades was the one to relent. “Are-Are you all right?” he asked softly as he lowered her so she could stand. 

“Yes, I’m fine,” she replied. “I didn’t hurt you, did I?”

He shook his head. They stared at each other for several heartbeats. In the meantime, Psyche began dutifully picking up the dropped papers.

“N-No,” Hades answered. Then, as he knelt to help Psyche, he added, “I wasn’t expecting to see you at work today. I came by your office to lighten your workload.”

Persephone knelt too, and began gathering papers Hades dropped. They were indeed familiar: they were memos and reports left on her desk from the last time she was in the office. “Please let me handle these. I need something to distract myself with.”

“Are you s-sure?”

“Very sure,” she responded, standing, taking the stack of papers from Hades’ hands. She paused, regarding him sincerely. “But thank you. For your thoughtfulness. I appreciate it.”

Psyche handed Persephone the papers she collected, and Persephone proceeded into her office. She rifled through the stack and retrieved the reports that needed to be delivered to Hecate. She noticed Hades lingering, furtively, in the doorway.

“Do you know what Ampelus’ assignment will be?” Persephone asked him. “Or should I check in with Hecate? I need to give her these anyways.” She gestured with the papers in her hand, indicating.

Hades glanced momentarily at Psyche, then returned his gaze to Persephone. “I was thinking it might be best for her to assist you, for everyone’s sake.” He sounded solicitous. “What do you think?”

Persephone bit her lip, considering. She didn’t notice Hades’ slight flushing at the sight of this, but it didn’t escape Psyche’s curious attention.

“Where would she work where she wouldn’t get a lot of unwanted attention?” Persephone inquired.

Hades thought for a moment, regarding the offices along the hall and the cubicles nearby. “I could get her set up there,” he mused, gesturing at a cubicle not too far from Persephone’s office. “Larissa would be happy to be moved into an office, and she was going to be promoted anyways, so this could work out well for everyone.”

Persephone assessed the cubicle. “I think that’s a good idea,” she agreed. “Larissa is such a hard worker, too. She deserves it.” Then she hesitated, overwhelmed with guilt. “But… I’m just an intern. It’s going to look weird, me having an assistant. Interns don’t get assistants.”

“Look at it as you’re going to have your hands full dealing with your case, school, and your work,” Hades suggested. “I think it’s understandable for you to have some temporary help under the circumstances.”

Persephone bit her lip again, considering. She knew she _ did _ need the help, and she certainly wanted to look out for Psyche, but she worried about what it would do for the morale of the other workers. Her brow furrowed.

Hades seemed to notice her reluctance. “Maybe Ampelus could be Larissa’s assistant as well,” he offered, “since she will now be working so closely with the shade coordinators. And Hecate mentioned before that Larissa has needed some help.”

“That could work,” Persephone smiled. It would be much better and she knew Larissa would be kind to Psyche.

Hades smiled back, warmly. “Well that settles that. Would you like to come up with me, since you’re headed to see Hecate anyways?”

Persephone smiled again, blushing. Of course she couldn’t resist passing up a chance to spend more time with him. “Sure.”

As they went back to the elevator, passing other workers who were filing in to their stations, Persephone could hear the hushed whispers again. She lowered her head in shame. Hades, observing what was happening, placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder, fighting the urge to pull her closer to him. He glared a warning at the offending workers, his red eyes flashing with a menace that reminded Psyche of why people feared the God of the Dead. Upon receiving their boss’s angry gaze, they each darted away apprehensively.

When the trio entered the elevator, Hades regarded Persephone with concern. “Are you okay?”

“I-I’ll be fine,” she said at length.

He then looked at Psyche. “How are you handling all of this?”

Psyche nodded shyly. “The Underworld is not what I expected,” she admitted.

“How much has Aphrodite taught you about our world?”

“A lot,” she answered, slowly, as if she had never thought about this answer before. “I don’t know if it’s enough, but it’s certainly more than anything we would have learned back home. There’s a lot of catching up to do. Things in the gods’ world are so _ foreign _ to me. The way you write and dress and speak and work and live. It’s beautiful, but so _ different_.”

Persephone lifted her head. “I know what you mean. I only came here from the mortal realm a few weeks ago and it’s been a big learning curve. I didn’t even know how to use a computer when I started my internship here.”

Hades gave Persephone’s shoulder another reassuring squeeze. “But you’re a fast learner, and you have a great work ethic. And Aphrodite said the same about you, Ampelus.”

The elevator dinged as they arrived at the ninety-ninth floor. They thanked the attendant imp and exited. 

A striking reddish-orange daemon approached them. “Good morning, Your Majesty,” he greeted cheerfully, “are you ready to go over your day’s schedule?”

“Thank you, Amyris,” Hades replied. “When is my first meeting?”

“It’s in thirty minutes.”

“All right, just give me a few minutes and I’ll see you in my office.”

“Sure thing, Your Majesty,” Amyris chirped. “It’s good to see you again Persephone, dearie. Please tell Eros I said hello next time you see him.” As Persephone nodded, Amyris sashayed back to the desk that was occupied by Minthe until a few weeks ago. 

Hades turned back to Persephone. “I don’t have much time right now, but I tell you what: why don’t you show Ampelus around, help her get acquainted with how we do things around Underworld Corp.?”

Persephone gulped. _ Do I know what I’m doing well enough to do that? _ Her brow furrowed in worry again.

“You can do this,” he soothed. “You already know how we operate better than employees who have been here for years.” 

“O-Okay,” Persephone whispered, significantly less sure than Hades was that she could do this.

“I’ll talk to Amyris to work in some time to meet you in the Fields of Asphodel,” he went on. “There’s a shade who I think you’d like to meet. Does that sound all right?”

Persephone nodded. “Don’t you dare cancel your entire day to help me, though,” she warned. 

Hades blushed, guilty. “Ah—all right, I won’t. Just a moment, then.”

He excused himself to Amyris’s desk and they spoke for a few minutes, Amyris nodding occasionally, tapping at his computer. Hades returned to them.

“I have a couple hours this afternoon, if that works for you, Ms. Kore?”

Persephone twisted the hem of her coat between her fingers, trying to sort out her conflicting emotions. “If it’s fine with Amyris, then it’s fine with me.”

Hades chuckled. “I’ll see you at one-thirty then?”

“See you then,” she smiled. 

Hades lingered for a few moments, as if he wanted to say something more. “Right. B-bye then.”

Persephone watched him retreat to his office with a sigh. Then she turned to Psyche. “Let’s check in with Hecate, and then I suppose we’ll get started on that tour.”

Psyche leaned in towards Persephone. “There won’t be _ dead bodies_,” she whispered with a shudder, “will there?”

Persephone giggled, remembering her own tour so many weeks ago. “Oh no! That’s not how we do things in the Underworld.”

*****

Psyche fidgeted in the loaned peplos in the locker room near the Underworld’s entrance to the mortal realm. She watched with curiosity as the Erinyes make small talk with Persephone. As was the case with Hades, these were goddesses Psyche was taught to fear, and they certainly appeared fearsome in their mortal realm garb, but the gentle way they doted over the diminutive pink goddess was a stark contrast to their reputation. By comparison, Persephone, appeared beautiful but fierce in the black leather cuirass and war skirt she donned—an outfit that was very similar to what the Furies wore.

“How are you holding up, my dear?” Tisiphone asked her.

“I’m sure Apollo deserved it,” Megaera cooed as she set Persephone’s hair into a traditional updo that allowed some of her long pink hair to flow down her back.

Alecto regarded Persephone with concern, almost in a maternal way. “We’re always available if you need to talk about it.”

“Or if you want us to crack his knees,” Tisiphone added with a toothy grin. “He’s got it coming.”

Persephone smiled, her eyes glassy as if she were holding back tears. “Thank you, all of you,” she said, hugging each of the Furies in turn.

“Are you going to introduce us to your new friend?” Megaera inquired, gesturing at Psyche.

“Oh!” Persephone composed herself. She stepped towards the mortal-disguised-as-nymph and took one of her hands, giving Psyche a reassuring squeeze. “This is my new roommate and assistant, Ampelus. She’s from the mortal realm, like me.”

“It’s a pleasure to meet you!” Megaera beamed as she leaned in to hug Psyche. “Any friend of Persephone’s is a friend of ours.”

“It’s about time Persephone had an assistant,” Tisiphone added. “Welcome aboard!”

“Yes,” Alecto added, shaking Psyche’s hand in greeting. The yellow fury paused, as if assessing Psyche. Psyche felt nervous under her gaze. “You work so hard, Persephone, it’s about time Hades found you someone to help out. But why do you need her to help out at home?”

“It’s my mother’s wishes,” Persephone lied. “You know how she is. She wants someone, a woman, looking after me.”

Alecto snorted a laugh. “Yes we do!”

“Well, we should be on our way,” Persephone interjected. “I’m giving Ampelus a tour to bring her up to speed with what we do here.”

“Oh how lovely!” Alecto chirped, pulling Persephone into a farewell hug. She then waved farewell to the purple nymph. “We’ll see you around, Ampelus!”

“Buh-bye,” Psyche whispered as she waved farewell.

After the Furies left the locker room, Persephone led Psyche to a corridor that eventually led out of the building and into a wooded area. At least, it seemed like a wooded area to Psyche, except all the trees appeared as if they had been long dead. Persephone led her to a river, introduced her to Styx and Charon, and explained how the shades are brought into the Underworld and directed to their new roles. Persephone suggested that they linger some distance away from shore and the shades, because of some trouble she experienced from her presence at the beach in the past, and so they observed atop a hill at a safe distance.

Psyche watched nervously as Charon ferried shades, who were ushered in by Hermes, across the mighty River Styx. The sight of them did not terrify her, but they made her suddenly fully aware of her own delicate mortality. The shades looked lost, confused, but not in pain or suffering. Some were very old, but some were young一too young. Psyche’s heart ached. Then it made her wonder, would she die before Eros discovered who she was? Would he forever suffer from a broken heart? Her life would be so fleeting in comparison to the gods’ lives, and yet she has managed to wreak havoc upon gentle Eros. Psyche fought back tears of guilt and self-pity.

Persephone seemed to notice Psyche’s distress and reached out to take her hand. 

“I’m sorry,” the petite goddess whispered, “I forgot how difficult this must be for you. Did you know someone here?”

“It’s not that,” Psyche replied, wiping an errant tear from the corner of her eye. She didn’t want to try to look through the crowd of shades for a familiar face. She couldn’t handle that right now. “It’s just… Why all the fuss over me? I’m just going to be another face in that crowd”一she gestured at the shades on the beach一“and it will be no time at all to gods like you.”

“Eros is one of my best friends,” Persephone explained. “If you’re important to him一and you _ are _ important to him一then you’re important to me.”

“I’m important to Eros?”

“Oh gods yes! He’s been out looking for you for weeks!”

Psyche chuckled, another tear escaping down her cheek despite her best efforts. “Oh my!” she gasped as realization crept over her. “He’s…”

“An idiot?” Persephone finished for her. “Yes, he is. An idiot in love with you.”

Psyche paused in quiet contemplation for a moment. “Hades doesn’t know you care about him, does he?”

“I一what are you talking about?” Persephone’s plump cheeks grew hot and dark. 

“Oh…” Psyche turned away, embarrassed and worried that she overstepped her bounds. “I’m sorry.”

The pair stood silently for a moment. Other than the gentle, rhythmic sloshing of water as Charon’s oar dipped into the River Styx, Psyche could hear no sounds of life. She turned and sorrowfully watched the ferryman greet his next wave of transportees. The Underworld was eerily beautiful and its king was more than generous to her, but she already missed the warmth of the sun on her skin. She was not sure how long she would last here, in a realm where only dead mortals resided.

Persephone heaved a shuddering sigh, apparently lost in her own thoughts. “All right, well it’s time to head over to the Fields of Asphodel.”

*****

Like the rest of the Underworld, the Fields of Asphodel was beautiful, but haunting with its lack of life. The dearth of birdsong and the absence of the rustle of wind were jarring. The fields seemed covered with only one type of plant: a tall lily with sword-like leaves and delicate, spiny white flowers atop spindly stems. As they walked between the asphodel lilies, Persephone absentmindedly ran her fingers across the petals. A soft pink glow emanated from her hands and the flowers grew fuller. Blue and pink butterflies appeared around her as if she created them with her thoughts, and they flitted off to greet the field of lilies. 

“Asphodel is one of the few plants that can grow in the Underworld,” Persephone explained to Psyche. She paused to caress one of the lilies, a thick crown of blue flowers forming around her head and cascading into a veil-like trail along her long hair. “They’re very beautiful, aren’t they?” The pink goddess spoke as if her thoughts were far away. Psyche had a suspicion of where Persephone's mind had wandered. 

They continued walking some more, along rolling hills in a field awash with starlight. Psyche looked over her shoulder and noticed their path through the flowers was evident by the meandering trail of lushness in Persephone’s wake. 

“This is the River Lethe,” Persephone continued, pointing at gently burbling river, the only source of sound in the entire field. “Shades must drink from it before proceeding to their assignment in the Underworld. It makes them forget their former lives.”

Psyche felt another pang of sadness. “How sad…” she whispered, her voice trailing off so she could fight back tears. She imagined Eros coming to visit her shade one day, and the look on his face when he realized she forgot him.

“Not all shades are required to drink from Lethe and forget,” came a deep voice from behind them. It was Hades, also dressed in a traditional black and maroon chiton and wearing his crown. 

“Hades!” Persephone exclaimed with a grin, whirling around. 

By her expression, it was evident to Psyche that Persephone found Hades' current appearance to be very easy on the eyes, and by Hades' expression Psyche could tell that he found Persephone's appearance to be bewitching. The two gods smiled warmly at each other, but both hesitated.

“How are you both doing?” he inquired.

“I'm doing as well as I can be," Persephone assured him. She turned to Psyche. "How are you holding up, Ampelus?” 

“I一well一um…” Psyche stammered and then trailed off. She didn’t think it was appropriate to say what she felt, but she also didn’t want to do anything that might offend the King of the Underworld.

“We didn’t consider what an effect the beach might have on someone with, um, Ampelus’ background,” Persephone interjected.

Hades seemed fretful. “You didn’t run into any problems did you?” He placed a hand on Persephone’s hand, as if checking her for injuries or distress.

“We’re fine,” Persephone smiled, “really.”

“It’s just very sad,” Psyche added.

“Oh, I imagine it might be for you,” Hades muttered thoughtfully. “I’m sorry, I didn’t think about that. Are you all right, Ampelus?”

Psyche nodded. “Yes, Your Majesty.”

“That’s a relief,” he replied. His gaze, however, never left Persephone.

Psyche watched the pair with growing curiosity. Hades and Persephone remained transfixed on each other. They stared at each other, awkwardly avoiding things each one clearly wanted to say. Psyche considered how Persephone denied having feelings for Hades, despite how obvious it was even to a mortal like Psyche, and she wondered whether Persephone was even aware of those feelings. Likewise, she wondered whether Hades was equally in a state of oblivious denial. She also considered all the possible things that were holding them back. She could see the longing in Hades’ eyes and understood that pain all to well; she was reminded of all the times she wanted desperately to drop hints to Eros of who she was and that she still cared for him and that she was deeply sorry for hurting him.

“Ah, well,” Hades finally spoke, breaking the silence, “there was a shade I wanted to introduce you to. He’s one of the few who wasn’t required to drink from River Lethe.”

Hades led them deeper into the vast field. He and Persephone chatted casually about work, much of which Psyche didn’t understand. They laughed at inside jokes. Psyche let herself fall back a bit to give them the space it seemed they needed. She felt more like a chaperone than anything, but she was grateful for their chatter, because as they drew away from River Lethe, there was no other sound to pierce the crypt-like silence.

Eventually Psyche began to notice shades milling aimlessly among the lilies, in a dazed but content state. The further they walked, the more crowded with shades the fields became. Psyche did not want to make eye contact with any of them, out of fear of finding someone whom she knew, and so kept her eyes fixed upon the gods before her. 

Hades led them further through the fields, eventually away from the congregation of wandering shades. Only a handful of shades now dotted the rolling hills, but these shades seemed different. They were sullen and more cognizant of their surroundings. They shied away at Hades’ approach. Hades ignored those shades, instead approaching the shade of an old man who sat pensively atop a hill, gazing up at the eternal night sky in serene meditation.

“Socrates,” Hades announced to the shade, in Greek, rousing him from his reverie, “I would like to introduce you to someone.”

“How wonderful!” the old man clapped enthusiastically. “I can’t even fathom how long it’s been since I’ve had anyone to talk to.”

“I would like you to meet Persephone, Goddess of Spring,” Hades introduced, gesturing, “and this is the nymph Ampelus. Persephone, Ampelus, this is Socrates, one of the great minds among Athenians.”

“Your Majesty flatters me,” Socrates chuckled. “It is a pleasure to meet you both. How could I be of service to the Goddess of Spring?”

“You will accompany us to my library and be at her disposal as she researches the charge of _ asebeia _ and the concept of justice.”

Socrates’s enthusiasm waned. “This isn’t about my charge of _ asebeia_, is it?”

“Only if Persephone deems it necessary,” Hades replied with a shrug. He then added, taking on a more authoritative tone, "This is a command, not a request."

“I see..." Socrates stroked his beard, processing Hades' response. "I’m very interested in wherever this new journey in my afterlife will take me, Your Majesty,” he replied. 

As if that was a sufficient answer, Hades gestured for Persephone and Psyche to draw nearer. He uttered something in a very ancient dialect of Greek and his eyes began to glow white. Psyche felt momentarily dizzy, and then felt as if she was being pulled inside herself. As abruptly as it happened, it stopped. After a moment of disorientation, Psyche realized that she was standing in the largest library she had ever seen.

Persephone’s eyes were alight at the sight of so many books. “Hades, this library is spectacular!”

“I-It i-is?” the blue god asked nervously, putting one hand behind his head. “Heh… Thanks.”

Persephone turned to Psyche. “How are you feeling, Ampelus?”

“I’m fine, thank you, My Lady.”

“Socrates,” Hades went on, turning to the shade he brought with them, “welcome to your temporary new home.”

Psyche realized the old man was as delighted with the library as Persephone. “This is paradise,” Socrates whispered, barely concealing his grin. “Thank you, Your Majesty!”

Hades held up a hand. “It comes with a cost, old teacher: you must do as Persephone wishes. If she wishes you to be her research assistant, then you must do so. If she wants you to explore the complexities of justice, then you will do so. If she sends you to fetch a quill, you will obey without question. Get yourself acquainted with the library, and we will be back later.”

Socrates nodded in understanding and happily departed to examine a nearby shelf of ancient tomes.

Hades turned to his other two companions. “You two must be hungry after all that walking. Do you want lunch? I can order delivery.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In the source myths, Asphodel is one of the only two plants that could grow in the Underworld (the other being pomegranate). You can see what it looks like here: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Asphodel_flowers.jpg
> 
> The Fields of Ashpodel in the source myths was a place for shades to gather until they were sorted. Some shades were not allowed to drink from Lethe as punishment, and they would have to remain in Asphodel and watch those who earned a place in Elysium have an eternity of paradise. Some shades were also able to avoid drinking from Lethe as a reward, or to serve a purpose (ex. Daedalus helped design a means to sort shades in the Underworld).
> 
> The names for the receptionists were inspired by Serpentina (from the Lore Olympus discord).


	8. The Many Names of Justice

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Persephone deals with some pettiness and learns a lot about the justice system.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My sincere apologies for errors - this wasn't betaed. Just let me know in the comments or message me if you notice something that needs to be fixed.
> 
> CONTENT WARNING: This chapter touches on Apollo's assault of Persephone.

Persephone kicked off her shoes, not caring where they flew, and collapsed face-first upon her bed with a heavy sigh. It had been a fairly decent day, all things considered, but she could not stop thinking about what awaited her the next day. She would have a meeting with Athena and Hecate in the morning to discuss her case, and then she had a hearing in the court that afternoon. She had no idea what the hearing was for, and Hecate assured her that they would explain everything to her in the morning’s meeting. 

Psyche knocked on her bedroom door. “Persephone,” came her new roommate’s voice muffled through the door, “would you like for me to cook something for you for dinner?”

Persephone could feel her stomach churn with nervousness. She couldn’t think about eating right now. In response, she groaned loudly.

“May I come in?” Psyche asked after a long pause.

“Yes,” Persephone responded, not raising her face from her bed, instead speaking directly into her blue comforter.

Psyche furtively opened the door. “My lady,” she asked with concern, “you need to eat something, don’t you think?”

“I’m immortal,” Persephone grumbled into her bed. “I won’t die if I don’t eat. I don’t ever want to eat again.”

Psyche hesitated, unsure of how to appropriately respond to that. 

“Would you like for me to make you some tea?” she inquired after several pained moments.

“Mrrrph,” Persephone mumbled into her bed.

“I―I’m sorry, Persephone, I don’t understand.”

Persephone lifted her head briefly. “Yes.” She dropped her head back into the comforter. Psyche wondered if Persephone could even breathe that way.

While Psyche retreated to prepare some tea, Persephone mustered up the strength to take a shower. The hot water on her skin was soothing. She stood under the water for several minutes, enjoying the sensation of the water pelting the back of her head and neck, and thinking of nothing but how good it felt. When she finished, she trimmed her hair into a pixie cut and dressed in a comfortable tank and mismatched sweats.

_ I look like a child, _ she chastised herself as she paused to regard herself in the mirror. Then she huffed and held her chin up. _ Fuck it. _

When she walked into the living room, she found Eros and Ares sitting on her couch. She wordlessly turned to regard a very baffled Psyche, who was bringing tea to Eros.

“‘Sup, Bringer of Death?” Ares greeted casually. 

A sprinkle of forget-me-nots suddenly crowned Persephone’s head despite herself. Eros stifled a knowing chuckle.

“What are you doing here, Ares?” Persephone huffed with frustration.

Ares held up his hands innocently. Despite being in casual attire, his shirt still fit tightly, and Persephone could see the muscles flexing beneath the fabric. 

“Relax,” the bronze god assured her, “we just came to check on you.”

Persephone raised a skeptical eyebrow and turned to Eros.

“My failure―I mean, father―said he wanted to check on you,” Eros explained, then turned to face Ares and spoke sternly, “and I came to chaperone him.” He spoke as if he had threatened Ares. “I don’t trust this walking disaster to behave himself.”

Persephone sighed. “I see…” 

“Do you want me to kill Apollo for you?” Ares asked eagerly, his red eyes flashing with mischief. “That would solve all your problems.”

Psyche silently offered Persephone a cup of tea and ushered her to sit. As Persephone sat, indignantly regarding the God of War, Psyche briefly turned her gaze to Eros, who seemed oblivious to her. Her heart sank. 

“Would you like some tea, my lord?” Psyche asked Ares.

“No, I don’t drink that glorified hot water shit,” Ares replied. He snapped his fingers and summoned a beer. “This is more my thing.”

“Killing Apollo _ won’t _ solve my problems,” Persephone told Ares. “It’ll only make things worse.”

Ares took a long draught of his beer. “Well my father is a jackass and there’s no way you’re going to get a fair trial,” he muttered. “So you vandalized his stupid harp? It’s not as big of a deal as Zeus is making it out to be.”

“Lyre,” Eros corrected.

“I’m not a liar!” Ares snapped. “You can’t agree with this insanity?”

“That’s not―” Eros paused and reconsidered. “No, I don’t agree with what Zeus is doing. He’s being unfair.”

Persephone sipped her tea thoughtfully. “It is bullshit,” she said at length, “but it’s _ my _ bullshit. _ I _ need to handle this.”

Ares interjected. “But Zeus―”

Persephone held up a hand, silencing him. “I want to handle this myself.”

Eros reached across the coffee table and took her hand. “Oh honey, you’ve got this. Be the bad bitch I know you can be.”

Ares whirled to face his son. “You literally called her the personification of a cinnamon roll an hour ago!”

Persephone spit out her tea. “A what?”

Eros flushed, visibly embarrassed at having his secret revealed. “It’s because you’re just sweetness incarnate, Persephone. But, I’ve also seen how tough you can be.”

Ares leaned back. “Yeah, you’re pretty good at revenge,” he admitted. He took another swig of his beer and belched. “So, what’s your beef with Apollo, anyways?”

Persephone fidgeted. She began tracing the rim of her teacup with her finger. “Ummm…”

“He’s _ Apollo_, Dad,” Eros offered.

“That he is,” Ares sighed, as if Eros’ words were a sufficient explanation. 

Everyone drank silently for a moment. 

“Look,” Persephone said at last, “I’m thankful you both came to visit, but I have to get ready for court tomorrow and―” She was interrupted by a rapid knocking at her door. The sound made her jump. “Sweet Gaia,” she hissed, “what now?”

Psyche stood obediently to answer the door. 

“Hey Ampelus!” greeted Hermes. “Is Persephone here?”

“Hi Hermes!” Persephone greeted from her seat. Her voice had a hint of fatigue. “How can I help you?”

Hermes walked into the living room. “Oh―hey there Eros and Ares.”

Ares raised his beer by way of a greeting. “‘Sup, buddy? Am I still seeing you at the gym tomorrow?”

“Absolutely!” the divine messenger chirped. Then he turned back to Persephone and paused, blushing. 

“What did you need?” asked Eros in a protective tone. “I don’t think Persephone is in the mood for a party.”

“I’m not,” the pink goddess stated matter-of-factly.

“Oh―well,” Hermes stammered as he shifted uncomfortably, “I had to―well―deliver this―um… well… pass along a message, really. From Artemis.”

“Artemis?” Persephone’s face grew dark and she slunk into her couch. “What does she want?”

“I―well―she wanted to come here herself, but that seemed like a bad idea, so I told her I would deliver the message since that’s my job to do that kind of thing, and I think it would be less stressful for you, Persephone, and, well, I knew she would come down hard on you and, well, you’re-you’re just a kid―”

“_What does she want_?” Persephone was clearly impatient.

Hermes sighed. “She wants me to retrieve her phone. She didn’t say it in those words, but I don’t think you want to hear the words she used.”

Persephone groaned. “Of course she would.” She reached into the pocket of her sweats to retrieve her phone.

“Now hold on!” Eros interrupted, standing. “How’s she supposed to communicate with anyone? This is the worst time to take her phone away.”

Hermes shrugged. 

Persephone stood. “It’s okay, Eros. Let Artemis have her phone back. I’ll figure out how to get a new one.” She tried to sound reassuring, but could not conceal the hopelessness she felt.

“Oh honey…” Eros paused. “Do you have all your contacts saved somewhere? Email them to yourself first, so you don’t have to start from scratch.”

“You’re right,” Persephone admitted. “I have some numbers I don’t want to lose.”

While Persephone emailed herself, Eros glowered at Hermes. “You can tell your piece of shit excuse for a roommate that he can get fucked by a cactus,” Eros growled, his eyes flashing red with rage. “And tell Artemis that she is a big disappointment, taking sides with that r―”

“Thanks Eros,” Persephone interrupted, placing one hand on his arm. Her eyes were glassy with the tears she fought back. She handed Hermes the phone. “Here you go.”

Hermes hesitated. He regarded her with big, sympathetic eyes. “I―I’m sorry, Perse. This is such a shitty situation.”

“Listen, Red,” Ares put in, “haven’t you upset her enough? Get your punk ass out of here before I throw you out.”

Eros moved between Hermes and Persephone. “I’ll show you to the door.”

“Bye,” Hermes said sorrowfully as he left.

Persephone plopped on the couch next to Ares. He held his beer bottle towards her, offering to share. She shook her head. Ares looked at her with great concern. Psyche watched this interaction with interest, wondering if Hades or Aphrodite ever saw this level of familiarity between Ares and Persephone, or what they would think about it.

“How are you, really?” Ares asked in a gentle tone.

Persephone heaved a shuddering sigh. “Terrible,” she admitted. “I don’t know what court is going to be like tomorrow. I’m nervous.”

Ares nodded in understanding. He took another swig of his beer. “You know,” he mused, “I could give you some lessons to channel that pent-up rage.” 

“You’re gonna offer me rage lessons?” Persephone asked incredulously.

Ares shrugged. “Why not? You’re still clearly very angry. It’s delicious.”

Eros, noticing his seat was taken, sat near Psyche. Psyche blushed nervously. “Hi, Eros.”

“Hey there, Ampelus.” Eros seemed more interested with making sure Ares behaved himself. “What’s this about delicious rage?”

“I’ll pass,” Persephone huffed, crossing her arms.

Eros cocked an eyebrow. “Really, Dad?”

“It will help her focus her mind.”

“This isn’t just an excuse to hook up with my friend?” Eros asked suspiciously, crossing his arms.

“Maybe a little?” Ares answered. Persephone elbowed him in the ribs. “Okay! Okay! But see,” he added, turning to Persephone, “you have a fighting spirit. With my help, I think you could be truly terrifying.”

Persephone also raised an eyebrow. “And why do you think I’m this helpless whelp?”

Ares shrugged. “Aren’t you?”

The petite goddess glowered at him. “I’m done here.” Persephone yawned. “Eros, it’s getting late, and I have a long day ahead of me.”

“Of course, sweetie,” Eros told her.

“Thank you both for coming by,” she told them as she escorted them to the door.

She gave Eros a strong hug. 

“Hey!” complained Ares. “Don’t I get a hug?”

“Sure,” Persephone replied with a shrug, giving Ares a hug.

“That’s enough,” Eros said, pulling his father away. “Don’t forget to use that cooling skin cream I brought you yesterday,” he added. “It’ll help reduce the puffiness around your eyes if you’re not getting enough rest.”

“Thanks, Eros.”

Persephone shut the door and turned to Psyche, who was already cleaning up. 

“Today was weird,” she sighed. 

Psyche nodded in agreement. “Please get some rest, Persephone. I’ll handle this.”

Persephone hesitated, but when she felt a yawn coming on, she decided not to fight about it. “All right. Thank you, Psyche.”

Psyche smiled warmly in response.

As she retreated to her bed, Persephone reached instinctively for her phone―which she no longer had. She felt a pang in her heart. _ I can’t even stalk my crush’s Fatesbook page. _

*****

The meeting with Hecate and Athena, in Hecate’s conference room, was overwhelming, only because of the sheer amount of complex legal information that Persephone had to absorb. She didn’t realize how much went into legal procedure. A crown of daisies sprouted from her hair, but slowly turned into a crown of red vines.

“Usually a tribunal will call for three or five judges,” Athena explained. She spoke with the enthusiasm of a middle school science teacher, and was just about as captivating. 

Persephone tried her best to find all this legal procedure to be as fascinating as Athena clearly found it, but it was difficult to overcome the overwhelming sense of dread she felt. Hecate sat beside her, consoling her, explaining concepts in layman’s terms, and offering her a tea that contained herbs intended to soothe nervousness. 

“But in this situation,” Athena went on, “with _ asebeia _ being a high crime, we have good cause to move for a panel of seven judges. You want seven judges, because a conviction of _ asebeia _ requires a two-thirds majority verdict, and that is harder to obtain with more judges that you have to convince.”

“Astraea is the best person to have presiding over the trial,” Hecate added. “She will make sure to pick judges who are truly impartial.”

“Each side will have an opportunity to object to a proposed judge that Astraea selects,” Athena put in. “If there is a reason to suspect that a proposed judge may have bias, we voice that objection. Astraea will then weigh the merits of the objection. Just because we object does not mean the proposed judge is automatically disqualified.”

“Most of the judges will undoubtedly have to come from other pantheons,” Hecate said, pouring more tea for Persephone. “In some ways, that may work to our benefit, because gods from other pantheons are more likely to be less familiar with an Olympian like Apollo, and so they will be less sympathetic.”

“But,” Athena added, sitting at the other side of Persephone, and setting a hand on her shoulder, trying to be reassuring, “they will still be obligated to interpret our rules and laws. So there will be no unpredictability there.”

Hecate set her tea on the conference room table and turned to face Persephone, placing a hand gently on her other shoulder. “This is just a small hearing, to select the panel of judges. But if Astraea is not convinced that _ asebeia _ is enough to warrant a seven-judge panel, we will have to announce your counterclaim for _ moicheia_.”

“TGOEM’s intervening claim for _ moicheia_,” Athena corrected.

“Right,” Persephone muttered ruefully, slumping towards Hecate as she suddenly felt weak, “_property damage_.”

“I know, honey,” Hecate said, drawing Persephone into a hug. Her voice cracked and her eyes were glassy, as if she was fighting back the urge to cry. “Nothing about this situation is fair to you.”

“But that’s why we are here,” Athena added, significantly more optimistic. “And that’s why we fought to have Astraea preside over this case. Our laws are not the best, but we will do the best we can to look out for you.”

“As the _ property _ of TGOEM,” Persephone lamented. “As a _ broken thing _ that TGOEM will claim reimbursement from Apollo for because I now have no _ value_.” 

“Well, that’s a bit harsh,” Athena admitted, “but―”

“It _ is _ harsh!” Persephone interrupted, incensed. “Apollo gets to speak but because I’m a woman of insufficient status, I don’t? That’s pretty harsh, if you ask me! And yes, I looked up what constitutes a claim for _ moicheia_, so I’m fully aware of what it actually requires TGOEM to argue.”

Athena paused in a moment of stunned silence before finally speaking. “You are right,” she sighed. “And, unfortunately, if we raise a claim of _ moicheia_, it will cause what happened to you to become public. But I will only raise it as a last resort. You need that panel of seven.”

Persephone stared at her tea. She was painfully aware of this possibility. She was not ready to share her story, but now she might have to in order to protect her freedom. “If we have to bring up the claim for property damage,” she told Athena, “I want to be able to control the narrative about what happened to me. I don’t want Apollo to try to spin it into something it’s not.”

“Oh we absolutely will do that,” Athena promised.

“And the Underworld has one of the best PR teams in the three realms,” Hecate added. 

Persephone shook her head. “I can’t accept that kind of generosity.” 

“I have instructions,” Hecate replied, holding up her hands in a gesture of helplessness, “that so long as you are under the protection of the Underworld during this trial, I am to make sure you are looked after to the best of our abilities.”

“Hecate, I already told Hades―”

“My instructions came from Demeter,” Hecate interjected. “Hades also promised the same to Demeter at her request. You’re getting all the help we can offer, whether you like it or not.”

Persephone was dumbstruck. “I see…”

There was a knock on the conference room door. Athena answered it, and a worried Hades stood on the other side.

“H-Hi Persephone,” he greeted, looking past his niece as if she wasn’t even there. “I c-came by to see if you had arranged a ride to Olympus for your hearing?”

Athena and Hecate both stepped to the opposite end of the conference table, giving space for Persephone as Hades entered the room. Persephone stood, blushing, trying to compose herself. She did not want Hades to see how upset she was. Hades approached Persephone, but they both paused, awkwardly staring at each other from a slight distance. The red vines in Persephone’s hair faded away, replaced now with a thick crown of blue flowers.

Hecate leaned her head towards Athena’s to whisper in her ear. “It’s almost like he gets summoned when she says his name.” Athena only responded with a knowing chuckle. 

“Oh…” Persephone fidgeted. She turned to look at Hecate, who only shook her head. “I guess we haven’t arranged a ride yet.”

“That’s fine,” Hades answered, pulling out his phone, “I’ll have Amyris handle that right away. We should be leaving soon.”

“We?” Persephone sounded more eager than she intended and internally berated herself for it. 

“Y-Yes,” Hades replied. Then, he hastily added, “Unless you don’t want me coming along.”

“Of course I do,” the pink goddess told him. “We’re… friends, right?”

“Y-Yes, of course.” Hades’ phone beeped, and he checked it. “Oh, looks like we have a car ready to go.”

“Amyris is a great PA,” Persephone remarked.

“Hecate made a great hiring decision with him.” Hades paused, as if remembering something, and then pulled a box out of his pocket. “Oh, this is for you.” 

He handed it to her. It was a phone. Persephone sighed. 

“Hades, I asked you not to give me special treatment.” She held the box back to him, trying to get him to take it back.

Hades pushed it back towards her. “When I was wondering why you weren’t replying to my texts all morning, Ampelus told me that Artemis took your phone back. If I didn’t make sure you had a phone to get in touch with your mother when you needed it, I think your mother might actually kill me.”

Persephone let out a small chuckle. “Heh, yeah, my mom is like that.” She still felt guilty about accepting the phone. “I need to make sure I repay Underworld Corp. for this, all right?”

Hades shook his head. “You’ve already earned this. You do so much more work than any other intern.”

Persephone sighed again. “All right… _ this _ time.”

Hades nodded eagerly. “Sounds good.” 

“It’s time to go,” Athena interrupted. 

*****

Persephone found herself once again inside the vast, sun-bathed white halls of the courtroom in Olympus. This time, Zeus sat at the Accuser’s table, beside Apollo. The dais was currently empty. A few journalists and observers peppered the gallery. They gathered towards Persephone and her escorts as they entered. Hades and Athena strode alongside her to block the reporters’ access to her, while Hecate shielded her from the front and “Ampelus” from the rear. Sudden flashes from cameras caused Persephone to freeze, reliving the painful memories from the night of her assault. Reflexively, she turned and buried her face against Hades. 

“Back the fuck off, you vultures!” Hades snarled as he drew Persephone against him protectively.

Hecate and Athena briefly exchanged knowing glances. 

Persephone drew a deep breath and steeled herself. “I’m okay now,” she told Hades, drawing back. Her hands lingered on him a little longer than was necessary. 

“We need to keep moving,” Athena told them as she guided Persephone the rest of the way, and to her seat at the table for the defendant. 

Athena and Hecate sat on either side of her. Hades and Psyche sat in the row directly behind her, and were soon joined by Hera, Ares, and Eros, who all sat to the left of Hades in that order. 

“My precious bean” Demeter whispered as she sat next to Eros. 

“Mama!” Persephone whispered loudly, moving to embrace her mother. White lilies sprung in her hair, matching the white caped dress that she wore. “I’m so glad you’re here, Mama.” Demeter held Persephone tightly, and Persephone did not want her mother to let her go. 

Persephone turned to Eros. “The cooling cream worked like a charm. Thank you.”

“Are Athena and Hecate looking after you well?” Demeter asked.

“Yes, Mama. They’ve been wonderful, explaining everything to me and making sure my best interests are being pushed forward as best as possible.”

“That’s wonderful,” Demeter replied. Then she leaned forward so she could see Hades. “You better be doing your damnedest to protect my precious angel baby in your realm,” she growled, pointing a finger at him in warning.

“O-Of course!” Hades stammered, holding his hands up in surrender. 

Persephone groaned inwardly. “Mama… We talked about this.”

Demeter sighed. “Oh, right. Well, I’m right here if you need me, baby.”

Persephone gave her mother one last hug and then returned to her seat.

The gallery began to fill up. The Erinyes sat behind Hades. When Megaera caught Persephone’s eye, she waved emphatically. Persephone smiled in return. Artemis, glaring daggers at Persephone, sat alongside Hermes and Leto in the row directly behind Zeus and Apollo. Hermes cast Persephone a sorrowful glance. Thetis joined them, smiling smugly in Hera’s direction. Poseidon and Amphitrite lingered centrally in the back, once again making a show of not taking a side but still showing interest.

Suddenly the bailiff emerged from the chamber behind the dais.

“All rise!” he commanded, loudly, prompting everyone in the courtroom to stand. “Praxidike Astraea presiding.”

A statuesque goddess emerged from the same chamber, glowing wings flowing elegantly behind her. A glow surrounded her head like a crown of light. Her thick, curly hair was pulled into a traditional updo, and tied together with what appeared to be a cord of light itself. Her gold-grey skin also emanated a faint glow. She wore the flowing black robes signifying her status as presiding judge, and they only added to her ethereal appearance, almost sparkling under the effect of her natural glow. The most noticeable thing about Astraea, however, was her eyes: they were blindfolded. An elaborate motif of even scales were embroidered in silver along the black blindfold.

“Is she blind?” Persephone whispered to Hecate.

“In a sense, yes,” the ancient goddess replied. “_Justice _ is blind, impartial. She can see, but not in the traditional sense.”

When Astraea sat upon the central chair, the one previously occupied by Zeus, she spoke, “You may be seated.” When everyone sat, she continued, the stenographer typing dutifully as she did. “We are here for the matter of Phoebus Apollo versus Kore Persephone. As Zeus, Son of Kronos, King of the Gods, has recused himself from presiding over this matter, I require his symbol of authority during each session of open court.”

Persephone watched as Zeus stood, with a reluctant sigh, and held out his hand, dramatically. A glowing white spear suddenly appeared in it. He lifted it, and it floated towards Astraea, who solemnly accepted it.

“Wielding the Lightning Bolt of Zeus shows everyone that she has the divine authority to mete out justice in this matter,” Athena explained. “She is one of the rare few ever granted such an honor, and the only of the star gods to do so.”

“So she comes from the stars?” Persephone asked with wonder.

“Indeed,” Athena told her. “It’s very rare for her to leave her domain. For her to preside over this matter means that she finds it to be particularly important.”

Persephone slid back in her seat. _ That could be very good, or very bad, _ she realized.

“This hearing is to set out pre-trial matters and to select the four other jurists who will join me in deciding this case,” Astraea continued. “Because this is a matter that needs to be dispensed with quickly so that all parties involved can return to their normal duties, this case is to be handled on an expedited docket. However, I must take into consideration the severity of the charges being brought against the Accused, and the need for a thorough investigation. Therefore, I must weigh all options so that justice will be served.”

Astraea paused, shifting through some papers in her hand. “That said,” she continued, reading from the documents before her, making Persephone wonder how she could see behind the blindfold if she was supposed to be blind, “I am issuing the following docket control order: The accuser, Phoebus Apollo, must produce his witness designations within twenty-eight days from today. The accused, Kore Persephone, must produce her witness designations within fourteen days from the Accuser’s deadline to designate. The parties may conduct written discovery, but all discovery must be completed within sixty days from today. The parties must exchange exhibit lists within seventy-five days from today. All dispositive motions must be heard within seventy-five days from today. The deadline for all pleadings, including intervening pleadings, is forty-five days from today. Trial will begin in ninety days. A pre-trial hearing will be held five days before trial to dispose of any outstanding procedural issues between the parties.”

Athena meticulously scribbled down the deadlines as Astraea read them aloud.

Persephone listened, trying her best to remember Athena’s explanation to all these technical terms. _“Witness designation” means listing anyone who you think would be a fact, expert, or character witness. “Discovery” means requesting evidence from each other. “Exhibit list” means listing all evidence that you think you will use at trial. “Pleading” means the legal document setting forth your position in the case. “Dispositive motion” means asking the court to throw out a claim because the law or evidence does not support it. “Intervening pleading” is what TGOEM will have to bring against Apollo for… _

She felt her stomach turn. She still had a difficult time calling what happened to her by name.

“This is a very short timetable,” Hecate whispered to Athena.

“It’s better than I thought it would be,” Athena replied. “We can work with this.”

“Now it is time to select the panel of the four additional jurists,” Astraea went on, shuffling through the papers before her again. “I want to dispense of this now, because we will have to reach outside our pantheon to find qualified, unbiased judges, given the status of the Accuser and his counsel, as well as the obvious allies of the Accused.” Astraea gestured at the row containing Hades, Hera, and Demeterーthe gods who are usually tapped for this kind of thing. 

Athena stood. “Your Honor, at this time the Accused would move the Court to reconsider the number of jurists to be assigned to this case.”

Persephone winced at the number of times she was reduced to the title of “the Accused.” _ I’m already losing my voice in this, _ she thought dourly, _ why not lose my name, too? _

Astraea nodded. “The Court will hear this motion. Go ahead, Counselor.”

“Your Honor, as the Court noted, the severity of the charges being brought against the Accused are particularly severe. In fact, under our laws, the crime of _ asebeia _ is one of the worst crimes of which someone can be convicted. Our laws prescribe that, when a party is facing a serious crime, a tribunal of seven judges is appointed to hear the evidence and make a finding, so that justice may be done.”

Astraea turned to Zeus and Apollo. “Counselor”ーZeus winced at being referred to as a lesser titleー“do you have any objection to this motion?”

Athena sat, and Zeus stood. “Yes,” he replied, “I do. How was your trip from the stars, by the way?”

Astraea tapped her fingers on the dais, thumping at a rhythm that failed to conceal her impatience. “I have no time for pleasantries, _ Counselor_,” she returned dryly. “Please state your objection, if you have one.”

Zeus scowled, briefly, before returning to his usual, more charming demeanor. “The Court is obviously aware of the severity of _ asebeia _and has already taken this into consideration, clearly, by choosing to have five judges on the panel instead of the standard three that our laws require. It is an inefficient waste of judicial resources that some one of the Accused’s status simply does not merit. Seven judges are appointed not just because the crime lodged against the Accused is severe, but because the status of the Accused merits additional consideration. The Accused in this case is a B-rate goddess, hardly worthy of the consideration warranted by a panel of seven judges.”

Persephone winced at the characterization. Behind her, she could hear Hades and Hera cursing in harsh whispers, and next to her, Hecate gave Zeus some very creative epithets under her breath, making Persephone feel relieved that they clearly disagreed.. Demeter, however, was less discreet about this insult.

“I’ll give you B-rate goddess, you flaming sack of shit!” the Goddess of the Harvest roared, jumping to her feet, her sickle suddenly in her hand.

Astraea beat her gavel against the dais. “Compose yourself, Demeter,” she warned, “or you will be held in contempt.”

Persephone turned around to regard her mother. “Mama, please. I need you here.”

Demeter’s scowl softened. “Okay my precious baby,” she whispered, returning to her seat. Hera reached across Eros and Ares to squeeze Demeter’s hand.

Astraea sighed. “Anything else, Counselor?” she asked Zeus.

“No,” Zeus answered, sitting.

Astraea turned to Athena. “Counsel for the Accuser makes a valid point. Seven judges is an extraordinary step. Do you have any counterpoints to offer?”

Athena and Hecate exchanged concerned glances. Persephone understood what this meant. She felt even queasier, and she began to get dizzy. Her short-cropped hair began to pour around her, as did white and red flower petals. Her ears began ringing, muffling Athena’s words as the Goddess of Wisdom began to speak.

“Yes, Your Honor,” Athena replied, rising to her feet once again. “The status of the parties is being considered when we make our motion. The Goddeses of Eternal Maidenhood bring an intervening plea of _ moicheia _ against Phoebus Apollo.”

Apollo and Zeus choked. In the gallery, the journalists and spectators began murmuring in shock and surprise.

“What is the meaning of this?” Demeter whispered to Hecate.

The Goddess of Witchcraft looked helplessly at Persephone, then turned to Demeter. “We will have to talk about it later,” she asid, in what was obviously insufficient for Demeter, but it would have to do, as Astraea pounded her gavel against the dais again.

“Order!” Astraea bellowed in a voice that sounded eerily like a distant explosion. “Order in the court!”

Evidently everyone else found the Goddess of Justice to be just as terrifying as Persephone did, because the courtroom fell to a dead silence in a heartbeat.

“Counselor, the charge of _ moicheia _ is a grave one indeed. I trust that the Goddesses of Eternal Maidenhood have good cause to bring such a claim, and this is not as claim being made in bad faith or simply to game the judicial system?”

“That is correct, Your Honor.”

Astraea turned once again to Zeus. “A charge of _ moicheia _ against an Olympian is undeniably serious, Counselor. Surely, you would want your client to have a seven-judge panel evaluating this claim?”

Zeus glared at Athena as he stood to respond. “Yes, of course, provided the claim is indeed viable.”

“Your Honor,” Athena interjected, “we are confident this intervening claim is viable.”

Astraea considered. After several moments passed, during which time Persephone became increasingly mortified, Astraea finally spoke. “Upon considering arguments of counsel and the circumstances in light of the intervening claim brought by the Goddesses of Eternal Maidenhood, this Court must grant the motion to expand the panel of jurists to seven.”

She paused, reviewing the papers before her once more. Persephone noticed it looked like Astraea was moving her fingers across the pages. After several minutes passed, Astraea held her hands up, a glow emanating from her fingertips, and six papers appeared suddenly above them and fluttered into her palms.

“The six proposed co-judges have been selected,” she announced. “I will read their names, and then Counsel will be given an opportunity to object, if warranted. If you do object, it better be for a good reason.” She looked at Zeus as she said the last part. “The selected jurists are: Themis and Nemesis from our pantheon; Forseti, God of Justice, from the Norse Pantheon; Inanna, Queen of Heaven, from the Sumerian Pantheon; Maat, Goddess of Justice, from the Egyptian pantheon; and Olorun, King of the Gods and God of Justice, from the Yoruba Pantheon. Counsel for Phoebus Apollo, do you have any objections?”

“I do,” Zeus spoke. “I object to having a Titan as judge in this proceeding. For what should be obvious reasons, there is no way a Titan could be impartial in a proceeding in which I am participating.”

“Noted,” Astraea replied. Then, after considering the objection, she added, “Your objection has been sustained. Themis will be struck from the list of potential jurists. Do you have any further objections?”

“I object to Inanna. I believe that with a charge of the nature of _ moicheia _ she will not be fair.”

“Do you have any concrete evidence to support that?”

Zeus pondered this for a moment. “She has a reputation for going overboard with regard to crimes of a sexual nature.”

Astraea ran her fingers across her papers again. “You mischaracterize her reputation, Counselor. Overruled.”

Zeus sighed. “No further objections from me.”

Astraea then turned to Athena. “Counselor, do you have any objections?”

“We object to Forseti, Your Honor. Zeus has had many dealings with the Norse pantheon, particularly assisting Odin and Thor, to both of whom Forseti is obligated, and there is thus a concern that he would be inclined to rule favorably for Zeus against the interests of justice.”

“That is a valid enough concern. Sustained. Any other objections?”

“No, Your Honor.”

“Very well.” Astraea held up her hands again. Once again, they glowed. This time, only two papers fluttered into her palms. “Replacing Forseti and Themis are: Kali, Goddess of Divine Retribution, from the Hindu pantheon; and Quetzalcoatl, King of the Gods and Bringer of Justice, of the Aztec pantheon. Does either party have any objections?”

“No,” both Zeus and Athena said simultaneously.

“Then the panel of jurists has been selected,” Astraea announced. “Court is adjourned.”

“All rise!” the bailiff commanded as Astraea stood and departed back through the door from which she entered. Everyone in the courtroom silently obeyed.

“That’s a lot of justice gods,” Persephone whispered to Hecate after Astraea left. 

“I think you’ll find that they’re all good to have on this case,” Hecate assured her. “Zeus seems happy about having two gods of his status on the panel, but I don’t think he knows their reputation as well as I do.”

“Really?” asked Persephone hopefully. 

Hecate nodded. “You’ll find that there are many names for ‘justice,’ and you just heard six of them. You have a fair shot. This turned out better than I expected.”

“I wish we didn’t need to play the ‘property damage’ card, though,” Persephone groaned.

“I know, honey.” Hecate cupped Persephone’s hands in hers. “But remember, you still have a shot at justice, and I think if you explore this a little, you’ll find that you can pursue some real justice.” She glanced at a fretful Hades and a visibly upset Demeter. “But first, you have some pretty hard work ahead of you, and it has nothing to do with the argument we'll need to make before the court.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If I didn't explain the legal procedure parts well enough, please let me know. In general, the timeline set out by the judge in this fic is actually very fast in any US court system. I made it a short timeline more for purposes of the story. Usually when you're dealing with a pretty severe criminal charge or civil suit, the case will drag on for months or even years, so that everyone involved has a fair shake at information-gathering. For the purposes of Lore Olympus, that seemed unrealistic, so I'm operating under the assumption that they're gods and so this short of a timetable is manageable for them. I also altered the discovery process--it's a blend of the US and ancient Greek processes. The US system is very complex (one of the reasons it takes so long to get to trial), and the ancient Greek system has the effect of being fairly prejudicial against the accused because there really weren't any checks and balances to make sure the evidence was vetted and fairly presented, so I went for a happy medium of the two.
> 
> HUGE thanks to the Treefort for encouraging me to push through to finish this chapter.


	9. Ceding Control

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Poseidon takes Hades to the beach. Demeter confronts Persephone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> CONTENT WARNING: This chapter discusses themes of rape and abuse.
> 
> A huge thanks to juliabsquared and roselessthorn for taking the time to beta read. And a big hug to the Treefort for their encouragement.

Hands trembling and head spinning, Hades could barely contain the rage that boiled within him. He knew well what _ moicheia _ implied; those laws were as old as he was. He could hear soft crackling sounds ripple through the courtroom and knew by the hissed curses of people in the gallery that the glass screens on their phones and camera lenses suddenly shattered. Hades could not take his eyes off Persephone as she was escorted away by Hecate, Athena, Psyche (disguised as Ampelus), and a very frantic Demeter out of the courthouse. He could only look helplessly at her when his eyes met her large, glassy ones. Despite the obviously embarrassing revelation, she maintained her composure with extraordinary grace and serenity, and it caused his stomach to flutter.

He wanted to follow her, but hesitated. _ She needs her mother, you idiot, not you, _ he told himself. _ Besides, if she even wanted to talk to you about this, she would’ve done it already. There’s no reason for her to tell you about this. _

As Persephone and her entourage disappeared from sight, his eyes darted to Apollo, flashing crimson. His jaw clicked as he clenched it in anger. Apollo spoke animatedly to some reporters. He couldn’t hear what was being said but he could tell from everyone’s expressions that Apollo was painting himself as a victim.

_ I should have protected her, _ he chastised himself. _ I failed her... I’ll fucking kill him. _

Without his realizing it, Hades’ skin began to grow dark. Hera placed a gentle hand on his arm, pulling him back to reality. Hades collected himself and turned to the Queen of the Gods. The scowl she wore told him that she knew about what happened. Beside her, Eros and Ares both displayed intensifying rage of their own. Hera placed her other hand on Ares’ arm.

“Don’t,” she told all three men in a harsh whisper. “If Persephone wanted you to intervene, she would ask.”

Hades knew she was right, but he was beyond reason and logic right now. Ignoring Hera’s whispered pleas, he stood, his skin growing dark again. A hand rested on his left shoulder, causing him to jump. He almost snarled as he whirled to face the interloper.

“Hey bro,” Poseidon said, smiling unconvincingly, “let’s go get a drink.”

Hades shook his head and pulled back from his brother. “I don’t―”

“No,” Poseidon interrupted firmly, placing his hand back on Hades’ shoulder and gripping him in a warning, “we _ are _ going. Right. _ Now._”

Hades felt himself being suddenly pulled through space and time as Poseidon transferred with him in tow. He struggled in vain to break free. They arrived at the front porch of a secluded beach house located on a remote atoll. Poseidon opened the door and pushed his brother through. 

The decor inside the beach house was a hodgepodge of fisherman and surfer nostalgia, with an assortment of art gifts that clearly came from the ocean deities of other pantheons. A large photograph of Amphitrite and a terrifying but beautiful blue and yellow ocean goddess from another pantheon, also a mermaid in form, hung with prominence above the fireplace. Above the well-stocked bar, the largest jawbones of a shark that Hades had ever seen was mounted. The small beach house had the overall feeling of a surfer’s dive bar.

Poseidon went to the bar and began pouring a generous glass of scotch.

“I want to kill the little shit,” Hades hissed.

“I know, buddy,” Poseidon said sympathetically, reaching across the bar to pass the drink to Hades. “But for the sake of peace between the realms, and for your sake, you can’t.”

Poseidon was right, but that didn’t make it any easier for Hades. As he reached for his glass, he saw his hand: black and velvety as the night sky and just as covered with stars. He huffed a deep, resentful sigh and downed the scotch. Poseidon, meanwhile, poured himself a glass of homemade craft beer from a tapped keg.

_ She asked you not to commit violence on her behalf, _ he reminded himself as he felt the warmth from the alcohol wash over him, _ you need to respect that, for Persephone’s sake. _

“Fuck,” he spat, holding the empty glass towards Poseidon. “Zeus is a dipshit for defending that little prick.”

“I know you care about her,” Poseidon went on, refilling the glass, “but if you care about her, then you need to keep cool, big bro.”

Hades slammed his fist on the bar counter, causing the glass of scotch to bounce and splash liquor. “Dammit, Poseidon! Imagine if this was Amphitrite―”

“I fucking know!” Poseidon slammed his mug of beer down, spilling much of it in the process. His skin began to darken with anger. “I would kill him in every horrific, painful way I could imagine for hurting the woman I love. But Persephone herself is on trial! If you intervene like that, you are risking _ her _ liberty, you fucking idiot! This isn’t a transgression that happened in _ your _ realm! _ You _can’t seek retribution here!”

The two kings glared at each other across the bar. The only sound to be heard was the rhythmic crashing of waves outside, growing in intensity to match the God of the Ocean’s ire.

After what felt like an eternity, Hades sighed and finished his scotch. “I know you’re right,” he admitted grumpily.

“Of course I am,” Poseidon returned, reaching to refill Hades’ glass. Hades waved him away, not wanting to get drunk. “Besides,” the green god continued, “did you see Demeter’s and Hera’s faces? You’re gonna have to get in line to kick that piece of shit’s ass.”

Hades turned and sat on the couch facing the fireplace, trying to calm himself down. Poseidon refilled his beer and joined him.

“You’re doing the right thing for her,” he assured Hades. “She’s in good hands with Hecate. She’s safe in your realm. And knowing you, you’ve thrown money at anything she could want.”

Hades chuckled softly. “I’m glad you’re my little brother. Even if I want to kill you most of the time.”

“We gotta look out for each other, big bro,” Poseidon smiled, nudging Hades in the ribs. He slurped some of his beer, then continued. “Man, I _ would not _ want to be Zeus for all the world. Apollo isn’t the only one Demeter and Hera are going to want to disembowel.”

“Or Hestia,” Hades added, realizing that at least it seemed there were a lot of people who would rally to Persephone’s side under this new revelation.

“Or Ares, for that matter.”

“Or Eros…”

"Or Amphitrite, to be honest."

They both sat in contemplative silence. Hades stared blankly at the photograph above the fireplace. The goddess in the photo with Amphitrite wore a crown signifying high rank in her pantheon, and from the style of her apparel and the intricate braiding of her hair, he knew she was from one of the West African pantheons but was unfamiliar with her. 

“Mermaids have no rival in beauty,” Poseidon spoke dreamily, admiring the photograph.

“Is she one of your lovers?” Hades asked.

“Yemanya? Oh I _ wish_! I don’t stand a chance, which she made known, and she outranks both you and me combined. She's as old as Grandmother Gaia. We are good friends, though.” Poseidon’s voice was filled with the longing of a fan or admirer. He paused and finished the rest of his beer. “Hey, let’s go for a swim to clear our minds.”

*****

There was no escaping Demeter’s incessant probing this time. The churning in Persephone’s stomach intensified. Begonias, verbena, and aspen leaves flowed from her hair and littered the ground behind her as she was ushered to the car she had arrived in―Hades’ car. But Hades was still inside the courthouse.

“How will Hades get back―” 

“Hades can find his own way back.” Demeter snapped. She turned to Athena. “We need to leave _ now_.”

Athena nodded wordlessly, casting Persephone a sidelong, sympathetic glance, and hopped into the driver’s seat. 

Hecate leaned in to whisper to Persephone, “He’ll be fine, sweetie. Right now we need to take care of you.”

Demeter's hand clamped tightly upon Persephone’s arm, her fingernails carving half-moons into Persephone’s flesh, and yanked her daughter into the back seat of the car. 

Psyche sat at Persephone’s other side and took her hand. Persephone looked at her, fighting back tears, and saw her new friend was doing the same. Psyche wanted to tell Persephone that she deeply sympathized, that her mother was the same way, but she was among three of the most powerful goddesses in the pantheon and could not risk offending one of them. All she could do was stroke Persephone’s hand and hoped she would not feel so alone.

“Take us to Persephone’s condo,” Demeter ordered Athena.

“No,” Hecate returned, sliding into the passenger seat with feline grace, “Athena and I need to discuss her case with her. Under the court’s timeline, every day is precious.”

Demeter’s face darkened and red vines curled around her head. “She’s _ my daughter _ and I am saying where she goes.”

“No,” Hecate corrected in a voice so calm it was terrifying. Her yellow eyes glowed and her teeth grew menacingly sharp. “Under Zeus’ last ruling, Persephone is under the protection of the Underworld for the pendency of this trial. In the absence of Hades, responsibility for Persephone falls to me. And _ I _ am saying she needs to discuss the next steps in her case with her legal counsel.”

“Zeus is no longer the judge,” Demeter returned crossly.

“Zeus conferred his role over the case to Astraea,” Athena interjected. “That does not negate any rulings he made. Astraea would have to explicitly do that.”

“Demeter,” Hecate added, “Athena and I have an ethical obligation to protect Persephone’s best interests. You can either cooperate with us, or we will have to ask you to leave the car, and you can take it up with Astraea at the next hearing. The way you are acting right now is not in her best interests.”

“Fine,” Demeter huffed, turning to look out the window.

Athena turned to meet Demeter’s gaze. “That includes physically harming my client. Let go of her.”

Demeter loosened her grip on Persephone, and exposing the small cuts in her arm to the air hurt more. Psyche handed Persephone her jacket, and Persephone wrapped it around herself to hide her wounded arm. Everyone was silent during the entire drive to Tower One. As the car passed the checkpoint to the Underworld, rain began to pelt the car. It battered the windows of Hecate’s conference room as they entered.

“May I please have a moment to speak with my daughter in private?” Demeter growled in what sounded more like a command than a request, hanging her coat over a nearby chair.

Hecate turned to Persephone. “Darling, is that alright with you?”

“S-Sure,” Persephone answered quietly. 

“Very well, we will be next door in my office.” Hecate flashed a menacing smile. “I trust nothing will be done to undermine Persephone’s best interests.” She turned to Psyche and, in a gentler tone, said, “Ampelus, my dear, why don’t you go take a break. I’ll call if we need you.” She closed the doors to the conference room, leaving Demeter and Persephone alone.

Demeter immediately whirled around to face her daughter. “‘I can handle this, Mama,’” she said in a falsetto voice, mocking Persephone. “Oh you handled it all right! Gallivanting around like some floozy and getting yourself in this mess.”

“Mama, that’s not―”

“No, I think you’ve done enough talking. You’ve done enough _ handling _ of things. Look what you’ve gotten yourself into! I've made so many sacrifices for you, done so much to protect your reputation―for _what_? For you to throw it all away for a little bit of fun? What's gotten into you!? Why did you sleep with that little twerp!?”

Those words stung worse than the marks on her arm. Persephone’s eyes flashed red. “I _ did not _ sleep with him.” She spoke through gritted teeth. The begonias, verbena, and aspen leaves in her hair wilted and tumbled to the floor. Peonies and rhododendrons sprouted among the red thorny vines that now crowned her head. “I wanted nothing to do with him! And maybe if you actually taught me anything of substance about men, instead of sheltering me, I would have understood what was happening when he forced himself on me!”

Those words landed on the Goddess of the Harvest like a terrible blow. Demeter took a step back, nearly doubling over, as if she had been kicked in the stomach. Blackened, rotted grains of wheat and barley rained from her body as she fell to her knees. When she looked up, her face was wet with tears and her eyes wide with shock. She moved her lips to speak, but no words escaped. 

Seeing her mother in this state, Persephone could no longer fight back her own tears. She pulled her mother into her arms. 

“I’ve been asking myself what you would do, Mama,” she whispered, stroking Demeter’s hair. "I need you, but I need you as a guide, not as a protector."

“My baby,” Demeter croaked against a stifled sob.

“What I’m being accused of has all been about revenge. _ War_, actually. I _ will _ destroy him. You need to trust me to do that.”

Demeter stood, wiping her eyes. “I’m so sorry Little Bean. I shouldn’t have said what I said. I should have known better.” She sniffled. “I should have protected you. I never should have let you come to Olympus. I never should have let you live with that irresponsible Artemis, she let that wolf into the house with you.”

“Mama, I need to be able to protect myself.”

“But you couldn’t protect yourself against that monster!” Demeter regarded her daughter with tragic concern.

Persephone stepped back and flung her arms up in frustration. “How can I when you never gave me the tools to do so? You keep treating me like some helpless baby when I’m a grown woman!”

“You’re still a child!”

“We’ve already had this conversation a dozen times, Mama.” Persephone’s eyes narrowed. “I’m a woman. I need to be given the freedom to be one.”

“And look what that freedom got you? Why didn’t you call me when this first happened?”

“Because you would have made me come home! Why should I be forced to come home for something that was not my choice!? Why should I be punished for what he did!?”

“Persephone, he _ forced himself on you_!”

“You’re forcing me to do things I don’t want to do, too!” Tears of anger streamed down Persephone’s cheeks. Peonies and rhododendrons rained from her body. “No matter what, I don’t get a choice!”

“I let you choose to go to college and look what happened―”

“Making mistakes is part of growing up! Maybe I’m in this mess, but there has been good to come of it. I’m learning so much in school, I’m making friends, I’m finding my place in the world―”

“Your place in the world is with me―”

“I’m _not_ just an extension of you! I want to be my own person!”

“And you keep fraternizing with that Eros―”

“He’s my _best _ _ friend_! It’s not like that at all. He’s been looking out for me all this time.”

“He’s just trying to earn your trust so he can use you―”

Persephone wiped her face with her hands. “No, Mother, he’s not. You promised to trust me to make the right decisions. _ Let me handle this_!”

Demeter heaved a sigh. Several moments passed before she spoke. “Yes, you’re right. I promised. I want to kill Apollo, but if you are confident you can handle this, then I promise to support you.” She sat down in one of the conference room chairs. “_Moicheia _ will get some justice, but is it going to let you get the justice you deserve? Apollo has suffered through the damage to his sacred lyre, but is that enough?”

Persephone mulled over this suggestion. “No,” she admitted. “_Moicheia _ is just property damage, and I’m tired of being treated like I'm just someone's property.”

“You’re going to need a creative approach,” Demeter explained. “Our laws are unkind to women. You’re going to have to figure out a way around that.” She paused, thinking. “You know, there is a mortal who would be useful for you. Ask Athena or Hecate if they can obtain safe passage into the Underworld for Pericles.”

“Pericles? Who is he?”

“A mortal general and statesman. He is considered the best orator and strategist among the mortals. He has been favored by Athena. He is a fair and just man and I blessed his city with bountiful harvests as a reward for his leadership.”

“Why do I need a general? I know I said this is war, but not in a literal sense.”

Demeter smiled, tears welling up in her eyes. “Because, my darling daughter, the way you held yourself in your argument with me showed me that you have the mettle to command that courtroom. You just need to hone those skills. To that end, Pericles will be of use to you, and I cannot imagine he would turn down an opportunity to serve the gods.”

Persephone nodded in understanding. 

Demeter’s eyes fell upon the marks on Persephone’s arm and her face became awash with guilt. “I’m sorry, Little Bean. I didn’t realize―let me heal you.”

*****

It had been ages since Hades last went for a swim in the ocean. He had forgotten the strength of the waves pulling and pushing as they move, the briny taste of saltwater when it hit his mouth, the fish and seaweed that brushed against his legs as he swam. Having the God of the Ocean as a swimming companion would be comfort to most, but Hades preferred looking at it as simply having the company of his brother. They raced each other from sandbar to sandbar. Hades knew he could never outmatch Poseidon in such a competition, but he quickly realized that was never the point of this activity. 

Swimming let him think. 

He considered the things he observed: how terrified Persephone seemed of Apollo the night he drove her home from Zeus and Hera’s, how terrified she looked in the photo Apollo posted of them together on Fatesbook, how uncomfortable she seemed at any mention of Apollo’s name. Now he understood why she reacted that way, why Apollo seemed so obsessed with her, and it made him want to snap Apollo in half.

But then he reminded himself that Persephone was on trial for defacing Apollo’s lyre. Apollo was clearly affected by it. Persephone could handle this if she was allowed to.

Hades knew that Persephone was tough and determined. She showed him as much time and again. He knew she was brilliant―she’s also proved that more times than he could count. And her display of power in Tartarus still amazed him. Whatever Apollo did to her―it still angered him to think about―he knew she was quite capable of seeking her justice. He just needed to make sure that she knew what she was capable of. She had it in her to handle retribution on her own, but she needed the opportunity to do so. 

By the time the sun began to set, he was coated in sand and pleasantly sore. He sat with Poseidon on the beach near the little beach house, watching the tide roll in, and drinking the stout, sour homebrewed beer from his brother’s keg. 

“Thanks, buddy,” he told Poseidon. “I needed that.”

Poseidon smiled. “I know you did. Have you figured out what you’re gonna do, then?”

“Yeah. I’m going to watch Persephone destroy that shitty little brat. I just need to make sure she gets a fair trial.”

“No, idiot. That’s good, but that’s not what I meant. Have you figured out how you’re going to get past the Queen of Helicopter Moms so you can pursue the woman that you love?”

Hades choked on his drink. “What? This is hardly the time―”

“Look, bro, I know Athena is smart, but her primary duty is to Hestia’s maiden club. The minute that Persephone’s interests stop aligning with the eternal maidens, guess whose interests will be forgotten? How can you be sure that bomb they dropped in court today was fully in her best interests? By the look on Demeter’s face, I’m not so sure. If Persephone was your wife, the maiden club could no longer push a case that goes against her interests, and the _ moicheia _ claim would be yours to bring, and you could make sure it was handled properly.”

Hades sighed. “You’re right, but I don’t think rushing into marriage, even if she would have me, would be the best way to handle this. It’s not fair to her.”

“It’s not fair,” Poseidon said, sipping his beer, “but it might be the only way to save her from a conviction of _ asebeia_.”

Hades was silent, weighing the choices. Poseidon's suggestion made sense, but it didn't feel right.

"I don't think she had an affair with Apollo," Poseidon added, at length. "The way she behaved, I think she hates him. I think he―"

"_Thank you_." Hades cut him off, speaking through gritted teeth, his eyes flashing redder than the setting sun. He didn't want to hear it aloud. He wasn't ready.

Poseidon sat his mug of beer in the sand. "What I mean is, I see a lot standing in the back of the courtroom. I've seen the way she looks at you. She doesn't look at anyone else like that. I think you have a shot with her."

Hades didn't respond. He sipped slowly on his beer, watching the sky darken and the glitter of stars that began to pierce the velvet night sky. _So this is the Underworld, huh?_ he remembered her saying that first morning, so many weeks ago. _Sure is. What do you think?_ he asked her. _I like all the neon_ lights, she replied._ They're like stars... only close up._ She didn't know who Apollo was yet. Maybe if he had defied Zeus and skipped that frivolous and humiliating family brunch, she would be safe right now. He wanted to go back in time and change that, but of course he could not. 

He wondered if she really liked the Underworld, or if she was just trying to make him feel better. He liked the way she made him feel and the way he felt around her, and he didn't want to lose that. He didn't want to do anything that would hurt her. Poseidon might be right, and the rules are the rules, but blindly following the rules to the letter exposed Persephone to a predator. Whatever choices he made, going forward, he would have to gather all the facts and confer with her, even if it was against the rules.

*****

“We need to start thinking of documents to request from Apollo,” Athena explained. “The timetable to conduct discovery is very short, so we need to get written requests out soon, and they will take time to prepare.”

Persephone sat in the conference room with the Goddess of Wisdom and the Goddess of Witchcraft, trying to process all this new information about the legal process set out by Astraea in court today. Demeter had already left, after healing her arm and a tearful farewell. Persephone was still apprehensive about the whole ordeal, and still felt a certain queasy numbness to revealing her assault to the world. She thought about how the Weekly Nark handled that first morning with Hades and cringed at the thought of the salacious headlines that would be published about her now. She knew Athena was right that they needed to control this narrative, but it did not feel like control to her. And she was uncertain that this would be the last outburst from her mother. The realization that slanderous press affected her life in such horrible and unexpected ways―she thought back to Hestia’s reaction about the Hades article and how naive she was that such gossip shouldn’t matter to her―overwhelmed her with apprehension. It was difficult to follow along with what Athena was saying as these worries overcame her.

Hecate, sitting beside Persephone, noticed the Goddess of Spring's distant stare and the worry lines carved into her brow.

“Athena, dear, would you mind if I have a moment alone with Persephone? It’s been a rough day for her.”

The silver goddess paused, considered, and then nodded. “Sure, okay.”

Hecate stood and offered her hand to Persephone. “Come to my office with me, honey.”

Persephone nodded and let Hecate lead her away. Hecate sat on her couch and beckoned Persephone to join her.

“How are you doing, _ really_?” Her yellow eyes were glassy and her voice was full of concern. 

“I’m―I’m holding up.”

“Yes,” Hecate smiled sincerely, “you are. You’re a tough one. But how your mother treated you, and I heard your argument… are you okay?”

“You-You heard all that?” Persephone was mortified.

“Oh, Persephone, you did nothing wrong. Standing up for yourself like that took a lot of courage and strength.”

Persephone let out a shuddering sigh. “I don’t think this is the last Mama is going to say about this matter, and I’m worried that she will do something to derail my case,” she admitted. “And it dawned on me that the paparazzi are going to paint me as something I’m not, like they did before, especially if my own mother can say those things she said. It feels like bringing this out in the open is making things worse, not better.” _ And what does Hades think of me now? _ she wondered. _ If Mama can say those things, what is he thinking? _

“May I hug you?”

Persephone nodded and collapsed into Hecate’s arms. 

“First of all,” Hecate said, in a soothing voice, “even if you were running around like some ‘floozy’ like Demeter said, that would never, ever justify what happened to you. Nothing justifies what Apollo did. Don’t ever let anyone convince you otherwise. Second, people will say cruel things, especially because they don’t know all the facts. The minute you tell your story, you’ll set them straight and they will look like the biggest fools. And if they don’t shut up after that, then they’re bigger fools. It doesn’t mean the words won’t hurt, because they will, but is getting justice more important to you than what others might think about you?”

Persephone didn’t even have to think about the answer. “Of course it is.”

“Then remind yourself of that when people say those cruel words. There will always be cruel words. You need to keep your eye on the prize.”

“Thank you,” Persephone whispered.

“This is not an easy path to take, but I’m always going to be here to light the way and walk down it with you,” Hecate assured.

Persephone nodded. Then her eyes lit up with an idea. “Athena asked me what documents we need to ask Apollo for. I know something that would be incriminating for him.”

“Oh?”

“He… He took photos on his phone during… _what he did_.”

Hecate blinked, processing this revelation. “He’s a pig,” she spat, disgusted. “But he’s a foolish pig. That would be helpful. Is there anything else you can think of?”

Persephone pondered some more. “It’s not something from Apollo, but I was able to show Eros what happened, through his powers. He could see what I could see.”

“I’ll need to think about that,” Hecate mused. “It could be helpful.”

“Also, Mama made a suggestion, but I don’t know if Hades would approve.”

“Oh?” Hecate raised an eyebrow in half amusement.

“There’s a mortal named Pericles that she thinks would be helpful for me to find justice. He’s alive, not a shade, but she said to ask if he could have safe passage into the Underworld to assist in the case.”

“Something like that would have to come from Hades,” Hecate replied. “And he isn’t usually keen on just letting anyone into the Underworld. Cerberus guards the gates to the mortal realm for a reason.”

“I see,” Persephone sighed, looking downcast.

“That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t try,” the blue goddess went on, encouragingly. “Why don’t you ask him? The worst that could happen is he says no.”

_ The worst that could happen_, Persephone fretted, _ is that he can’t even bear to be around me after all this. _

*****

Artemis hugged her twin. “See you later, little brother,” she smiled. “You’re looking better, by the way.”

Apollo smiled back. “God of Medicine. Now that I have my lyre back and it is repaired, I feel my powers of music returning to me. Losing your powers does a number on your health, let me tell you.”

“I bet. I’m so sorry I trusted that little bitch, you didn’t deserve that.”

“You had no way of knowing,” Apollo assured her. “People can surprise you like that. But I’m glad to have you as my big sister.”

Artemis playfully shoved him. “Don’t be getting sappy on me now!”

“Thanks for walking me home,” Apollo told her. “I’m sorry you got caught up in all this. But we’ll get through it.”

“Yeah.” Artemis felt a bit of reluctance saying that. Something started to nag at her, but she couldn’t quite put a finger on it. “Hey, I gotta go get ready for work. You’re good?”

“Yeah, I’m good. I’ll talk to you later?”

Artemis hesitated, still trying to process what wasn’t feeling right to her. “Yeah, sure. Byeeeeee!”

After waving farewell, she began walking back to her apartment. She played through the events of the day and realized what was bothering her. Persephone accused Apollo of something, and the courtroom went crazy. It was a word that she had not heard of before. She couldn’t remember what that word was. 

_ Why did everyone freak out? _ she wondered.

When she got home, she plopped on the couch and flipped on the television to sports news, wanting to clear her mind before work. One of the headlines that scrolled across the bottom of the screen read: “God of Archery Phoebus Apollo accused of _ moicheia _ by TGOEM. Pallas Athena claims TGOEM was damaged by illicit affair between Apollo and flower nymph previously seen with Hades.”

_ Affair? _ Artemis wondered. _ What? _

She pulled out her phone and typed “_moicheia_” into the Oracle search engine, and then began reading the first result: _ Moichaeia is a claim for property damage that can be brought by a parent, spouse, or anyone else responsible for the care of a girl or woman in the event of seduction or rape by a man who is not her husband, whereby recompense is sought for the loss of value of the chastity of the girl or woman. _

Shaking, Artemis couldn’t hold her phone, and it dropped to the floor.

“Fucking shit,” she whispered as dread realization crept over her.

She looked down the hall to the room that used to be Persephone’s. _ How many times did I leave her by herself with Apollo? _ she asked herself, waves of guilt overcoming her. _ She never liked him. Did he…? _

She couldn’t finish the thought. It hurt too much. The revelation of betrayal by her own brother was a wound that cut too deeply. She didn’t want to believe it. She lay on the couch, ignoring that she would be late for work, and played through all the evidence in her mind, with the numbing pain of realizing it all only solidified what she didn’t want to be true. Her pets sat at the other end of the couch and only looked on, whimpering.

“I was supposed to protect you, Perse,” she whispered, tears streaming down her cheeks. “I failed you. And now I’ve lost you. What have I done?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Plant symbolism:
> 
> \- Begonias symbolize someone's worst fears.  
\- Verbena symbolize regret.  
\- Aspen leaves symbolize fear and worry.  
\- Peonies symbolize anger (among other things).  
\- Rhododendrons symbolize that the bearer is dangerous, or a warning to be careful.  
\- Wheat is a symbol of wealth and prosperity. Barley represents strength in family, among other things. In this chapter, they were rotted.


	10. Best Interests

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Eros and Persephone plan a date. Persephone gets creative.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> CONTENT WARNING: This chapter delves rather heavily into Persephone's sexual trauma. Please proceed with caution.
> 
> Thank you to roselessthorn and lizbian for beta reading, and HeliosAlpha and VerdiWithin also for letting me field ideas off y'all. I appreciate you all so much!

The next two weeks were a flurry of paperwork, running around, and confusion for Psyche. She spent long workdays fetching records for the shade coordinators, ran legal research between Socrates and Hecate, and delivered memos and reports from Persephone and Larissa to Hades. She didn’t mind the work, tiring as it was, since it kept her off Zeus’ radar. She missed seeing Eros every day, like she did when she resided with Aphrodite. Each day Psyche hoped he would make a chance visit to see her new roommate. 

The hectic days at Underworld Corp. made time fly, at least, and Persephone was a much kinder goddess to serve than Aphrodite. She would always check on Psyche, make sure she was not overwhelmed and was eating and resting, and otherwise treated her more like an equal than a servant. Psyche soon learned that, like Hades, Hecate and the Erinyes were also surprisingly kind and patient, despite their terrifying reputations. Not everyone at Underworld Corp. was like that, however. Thanatos, for instance, was always cruel to her. Thankfully, however, he was often lazy and not always in his office, and so easy enough to avoid, and his cruelty was limited to terse emails and shouts from down the hallway. He was mean to Persephone, too, and Psyche didn’t know how she was able to continue to be kind to him despite his backhanded insults. 

Psyche passed by the breakroom and heard Thanatos’ voice, and so started to scurry past in an effort to avoid him once more. 

“I have no idea why that little pink bimbo has the legal department working to clean up her mess,” she heard him say. Psyche froze and pressed up against the wall just near the door jamb to eavesdrop. Thanatos went on, “So she was dating Apollo when she was supposed to be some eternal virgin. What does that have to do with us?”

“Because she’s probably dating the boss, too,” a red daemon answered. 

Thanatos snorted. “Probably dating a lot of guys. Thetis has seen her getting cozy with Ares, too.”

“Good grief! Those Olympians are all the same! Do you know Ares threw me out the window just for calling them out for flirting?”

“Typical! Olympians create messes and expect us to clean them up, and then treat us like we’re trash.” Thanatos sounded exasperated.

“Hey,” asked the daemon after a brief pause, “how’s Minthe doing?”

Thanatos sighed. “She’s still at that inpatient mental hospital, but she’s doing as well as could be expected.”

“She would be just fine if that pink princess didn’t weasel her way in,” the daemon replied. 

“She’s ruining everything! I hope she gets what she deserves. I can’t stand Apollo, but right now I’m cheering for him.”

Psyche’s face flushed with anger and disgust. She took a deep breath and walked hurriedly past, as if she didn’t overhear anything.

“Her dear mother even pulled strings to get her an assistant,” the daemon went on, “some airhead from the mortal realm who worked for Aphrodite, of all people…” His voice trailed off as Psyche moved down the hallway.

_ What horrible people! _ she thought. _ How could anyone say these things about Persephone? What has she ever done to them? _

She hurried to Persephone’s office, torn between wanting to warn her friend about what she overheard and concern that she should avoid adding to her friend’s troubles. As she neared Persephone’s office, she heard another familiar voice. But this one made her heart skip a beat.

“How about after work?” Eros pleaded. “Honey, you need some self-care time.”

“How about seven, then?” Persephone replied. “Where did you want to meet?”

“There’s this trendy Underworld bar that opened a few weeks ago. With everything that’s going on, I haven’t had a chance to check it out.”

“Sure, it sounds like a date, then.”

_ A date? _ Psyche wondered. She’s heard the immortals speak of dating, and it was always in a romantic context. A pang of betrayal knotted in her chest. _ I knew they were close but I thought they were just friends? I thought she liked Hades? Have I been wrong all this time? _

Fighting back tears of jealousy, Psyche walked into Persephone’s office, clearing her throat as she did.

“Ampelus!” Persephone chirped, turning around at the sound of Psyche’s footsteps. 

“Hi, Ampelus,” Eros smiled. “Long time, no see. How are you doing?”

“I’m fine,” Psyche replied, scarcely concealing the sadness in her voice. 

Eros stepped towards her and took one of her hands. Psyche’s heart jumped. “It’s depressing in the Underworld, huh?” he inquired sympathetically. "I would be sad, too, with all this death."

“It’s dark,” she returned diplomatically. “I’m just worn out.”

“It’s been a busy week,” Persephone explained. “I bet Ampelus could use a break, too. Do you mind if she comes along?”

“I—” Eros began, frowning, but then paused, considering. “No. I think we all could use a fun Friday night with friends to blow off some steam.” 

Psyche smiled in relief. “Thank you for inviting me!” she said a little too eagerly for her comfort. Thankfully, Eros didn’t seem to notice.

“Well, I guess I’ll see you both later,” Eros said. “I’ll text you the address to the bar. It’s called ‘D!vine Gorgons.’” 

“That sounds good,” Persephone answered. “See you at happy hour!”

Both women waved Eros farewell. After he left, Psyche sighed deeply.

“This has to be so hard for you,” Persephone observed gently. “He’s such a doofus.”

“Why?” Psyche was curious.

“He came here to complain about how fruitless his search for his lost love, Psyche, has been.”

Psyche stifled the guffaw that threatened to escape. Instead, tears began streaming down her blushing cheeks. “No!” was all she could utter.

Persephone shrugged helplessly. “I told you, he’s a big doofus.”

Psyche slumped against the wall. “So what was the date then?”

“Date?” Persephone seemed genuinely confused. Then her expression changed to horror as realization crept over. “Nooooooooo!” she said, covering her mouth. “Not _ that _ kind of a date! It’s an expression that people use here, it means I’ll make the time to join him for happy hour—as friends.”

“I’m sorry, I didn’t think you—but it was confusing…”

“It sure is.” Persephone was still blushing in horror. “He just wants to blow off steam because he can’t find his lost Psyche, Ampelus.”

Psyche smiled, relieved. “He’s such an idiot.”

*****

Eros didn’t head for the exit, but instead took the elevator to the ninety-ninth floor. Amyris greeted him warmly.

“Eros! I’m so glad to see you! It’s been a while.” The reddish-orange daemon left the reception desk to give Eros a hug.

“It sure has, Amyris. How have you been?”

“Loving my new job,” Amyris admitted. “I’m very busy, Hades needs a lot of hand-holding, but the pay is great.”

“Who’s doing their hand-holding?” Eros asked, raising an eyebrow. 

“Not who I think he wants to be holding his hand,” the daemon giggled. Then, he added, shyly, “You haven’t invited me to an orgy in a while. Is everything okay?”

The God of Love sighed. “I’ve just… been in a funk lately. It’s not you, Amyris. I haven’t held any orgies lately.”

“Oh…”

“Sweetie, you’re always invited to my orgies. I’ll let you know, trust me.”

Amyris nodded with a shy smile. “I take it you didn’t come all this way just to see me?”

“I’m afraid not. Is Hades available?”

“Why didn’t you make an appointment?” Eros shrugged. Amyris sighed and checked his computer. “He’s blocked this time out to go over reports, but I can ask if he will see you.”

“If you don’t mind?”

“For you? Not at all, my dear. Just have a seat and wait a sec.”

Amyris buzzed Hades, but Eros couldn’t make out the exchange from where he sat. 

“He will see you,” Amyris said at last. “But you’ll need to make it quick.”

“Thanks!” Eros beamed as he headed into Hades’ office.

Hades seemed apprehensive upon seeing him.

“Hi big guy,” Eros greeted. “How are you holding up?”

Hades sighed. “This frivolity couldn’t be achieved through a phone call?” he groaned.

In response, Eros simply looked at him skeptically as he sat in a chair in front of Hades’ desk. He casually waved a hand, summoned a fragrant cup of lemon-peppermint tea, and began sipping.

“I suppose not.” The King of the Underworld folded his hands and rested his chin upon them. “Is this about Persephone?”

“Yep,” Eros started matter-of-factly. “I’m worried about you. You were a mess at the courthouse and I can’t imagine how all of this has affected you. You still look like a mess.”

Hades raised an eyebrow, frowning. He gestured at himself. He was, as always, well put-together: black high thread-count silken three-piece suit, well-tailored to his form; crisply-pressed white dress shirt beneath; black tie with subtle flecks of pink in the design; and a pink pocket square. To someone without Eros’ particular talents, Hades would have looked like someone who was unfazed by all the drama of the past few weeks. But Hades sat before the God of Love, and Eros recognized this particular affliction.

“The tough act won’t work on me, Hades. You’re a mess on the inside,” the pink god retorted. “People’s emotions are in my domain, after all.” He sipped his tea again. “Look, I could feel your inner turmoil before I even walked into this building. It’s eating you alive. I’ve never seen you like this.”

Hades wheeled his chair away from Eros and gazed out the window. “You’re right,” he admitted with a despondent sigh after some time passed, “but what can I do? All I can do is sit back and watch and try to make sure she has all the resources that she needs to prepare her defense case.”

“Have you tried being a friend?” Eros inquired, setting his cup of tea on the nearby coffee table.

“WellㅡIㅡSheㅡ” Hades stammered, unable to form a single tenable thought. Eros could feel his panic and despair.

“Hades,” Eros spoke with sincere earnestness, “have you even tried _talking_ to Persephone?”

“I think she’s avoiding me,” the other replied morosely. 

Eros picked up his cup and sipped again, thinking. _ Why would Persephone avoid Hades? _ he wondered. He closed his eyes and remembered the swirl of emotions he felt when he dropped by to check on her: determination and anger, but also heartbreak and anxiety. He gauged that against Hades’ own inner turmoil. He realized what was going on.

“You two need to work on communication,” Eros finally remarked with mild exasperation. “Stop assuming the worst about yourselves.”

“What?” Hades was visibly confused.

“How will you know what’s going on if you don’t talk about it?”

“Now hold on,” Hades growled, annoyed. “What was even the point of all this?”

“Persephone is my best friend,” Eros returned, finishing his tea. “I’m just looking out for her best interests.” He snapped his finger, and the teacup disappeared.

“That’s not an answer!” Hades complained, visibly incensed.

“It is if you paid attention to what I’ve been saying.” Eros was deliberately cryptic. He had to be; love was not something to be rushed, and he wanted to test Hades. After everything she had been through, Eros decided, Persephone deserved someone truly worthy of her. 

Hades harrumphed in a poor attempt to conceal his sudden introspection. This gave Eros time to prepare himself for the other question he wanted to ask. He wasn’t sure how Hades would react, because in theory this was something he could have asked some Underworld underling, and Hades might be insulted by the request.

“I have another reason for being here,” Eros admitted.

“Uh-huh.” Hades leaned back in his seat and folded his hands. Back to his usual intimidating self, a stern frown crossed his face.

“Um,” Eros began nervously, “I know this is probably below you, but I don’t know who else to trust, and I don’t want to add to Persephone’s problems…”

“Go on.” 

“I just wanted to know if a certain mortal has crossed into the Underworld.”

Hades raised an eyebrow with curiosity. “I see. Does this mortal have a name?”

“Psyche.” Eros loved the way her name fell off his tongue. “She’s from Sicily.”

Hades nodded, turned to his computer, and tapped something on the keyboard.

“Nope,” the King of the Dead announced. “No Psyche from Sicily in our records.”

Eros breathed a sigh of relief. He couldn’t conceal his smile.

“What is this 'Psyche from Sicily' to you?” Hades asked.

“She’sㅡI’m just trying to find her. For work.” It wasn’t a lie, but it wasn’t the truth, either.

“I see.” Hades leaned back, smiling wryly. Eros wondered if he knew something. 

“Thank you, Hades. I should take my leave. Amarys said you had a full schedule and I’ve already taken up enough of your time.”

“Let’s say this makes us even,” Hades replied. “Since you helped me help Persephone.”

Eros smiled as he stood to leave. “Hey, would you meet some friends and me tonight at 7:00 at D!vine Gorgons?”

“That pretentious new bar? Absolutely not!”

“Suit yourself,” Eros winked. “It might be good to step out of your comfort zone, though. You never know, it might surprise you.”

Hades regarded the love god in confusion. As he departed, Eros smirked. _ Hades won’t be able to resist, _he told himself.

*****

The law library had a woody, old book smell that was oddly comforting. Persephone pored over a large tome she found almost by accident. It was engrossing to her, not because the passage she was reading was about _ asebeia _ , but because it exclusively discussed novel applications of _ asebeia _.

_ Why does this passage speak to me? _ she wondered, her brow furrowed in thought. _ It’s Apollo’s claim against me, but maybe I can bring this kind of claim against him? _

“Does something trouble you, my lady?” Socrates asked solicitously. 

“I wouldn’t say troubled,” Persephone told the dead philosopher, “but I have an idea, and it seemed like a good idea, but the more I think about it, it doesn’t.”

“What is this idea?” Socrates inquired.

“I’m trying to think of a way to turn this _ asebeia _ claim against Apollo,” she explained. “Maybe bring my own _ asebeia _ claim against him.”

“So far it doesn’t sound like a bad idea at all,” Socrates told her encouragingly. “It sounds like an excellent strategy.”

“Yes, but the only argument I can think of raising is impiety because he… attacked a novitiate to the Goddesses of Eternal Maidenhood.”

“Again, this still sounds like excellent strategy to me. Perhaps you are just doubting yourself, Goddess of Spring?”

“I’m tired of being treated like someone’s property,” Persephone groaned. “That’s the problem. To raise this kind of argument, I would have to say I’m damaged property of TGOEM.”

“Why is that a problem?”

“Because it doesn’t help me get justice.”

Socrates stroked his spectral beard pensively. “What is justice to you, Goddess of Spring?”

Persephone was taken aback by that question. It was an odd question, but a good one. _ What _ is _ justice to me? _ she asked herself. She mulled over this for several moments while Socrates waited patiently. _ What do I want from this? _ She knew what she wanted, but it seemed so distant and unlikely.

“Justice would be Apollo paying for what he did to me.”

Socrates hummed thoughtfully. “Wouldn’t Apollo still pay for what he did to you if TGOEM brought the _ asebeia _claim on your behalf?”

Persephone pondered this. _ That’s true, _ she realized. _ But that’s not what I want. _ “I want him to pay for what he did _ to me_, not to TGOEM or my mother or anyone else. _ I _ was the one he hurt. _ I _ am the one who needs justice.”

Socrates considered her argument for a moment. “Is there any other argument that you could make, then, to say that Apollo was impious towards _ you _ and not anyone else?”

Persephone bit her lip, thinking. _ What has he done to me that would rise to the level of impiety? _ She turned back to the time she was reading and reread an earlier passage. Her face lit up with an idea.

“All right, hear me out,” she said excitedly.

Socrates, who had been waiting with the patience of the dead, nodded.

“I’m a goddess, right? _ Theá_?”

“Of course.”

“One of the definitions of _ asebeia _ is ‘something that brings offense to the gods’—gods of course being _ theoi_. Apollo’s… what he did to me… clearly is something that brought offense to this _ theá_.”

“So would Apollo’s attack on you be an act of impiety, then?” Socrates leaned across the table to read the tome. He then looked up, smiling. “Goddess of Spring, that is a very brilliant argument.”

Persephone was excited. “Thank you for helping me, Socrates.”

Socrates seemed taken aback by this gesture. “I’m truly honored, my lady.”

Her smile faded as realization crept over her. “You know what I forgot?” she mumbled. “I’m not allowed to speak for myself in court.”

“I suppose we just need to do some more research, then.” He tried to sound encouraging. “I’ll go check the legal procedure section and see what I can find for you.”

“Shouldn’t you rest? You’ve been working all day.”

Socrates chuckled. “I’m dead. I’ve no need for rest.”

Persephone felt a pang of sadness. “Please, go do something you enjoy until tomorrow. Hades said you had to listen to me. I command this.”

“Seeking knowledge is what I enjoy,” he explained to her. “Being allowed not to drink from the River Lethe and being assigned to Hades’ libraries are the greatest rewards one could bestow upon me in the afterlife.” 

“Oh,” the pink goddess smiled. “Then go read something for yourself until tomorrow. It’s late.”

“Yes, my lady.” Socrates bowed in reverent supplication. 

Persephone turned to exit the library and almost bumped into Hecate. 

“There you are!” the Goddess of Witchcraft exclaimed. “I thought I would find you here.”

“Hecate! I have an idea!”

“Oh?” Hecate sounded intrigued. “An idea about what?”

“About my case,” Persephone explained. “About how to pursue _ my _ interests, _ my _ justice.”

“Oh my, this is very exciting news! Follow me to my office. You can tell me about it there.”

*****

Eros checked his watch nervously. Psyche tapped another text to Persephone: _ where are you? are you all right? _

They sat opposite each other in a large, plush booth in D!vine Gorgons, away from the crowd, but positioned where Eros could still see the door. A DJ at the far end of the bar played trendy electronic music. Scantily clad nymphs, daemons, and satyrs gyrated to the music. The décor was minimal, focusing more on the play of lights and color—something that was surprisingly pleasing to Psyche’s artistic eye.

“I should have stayed at the office and left with her,” Psyche complained, feeling guilty. _ I slipped up, _ she chastised herself. _ All I could think about was spending an evening with Eros. _ Even now, she couldn’t stop looking at him. 

“It’s not your fault, Ampelus,” Eros told her. “You can’t be Persephone’s babysitter.”

“Demeter will have my head,” Psyche groaned, slumping forward and burying her face in her hands. 

“I’m sure she’s just working late,” Eros added. He pulled out his phone and started typing a text, presumably to Persephone.

Psyche’s phone pinged. It was Persephone: _ I’m sorry! I was caught up in a meeting with Hecate! I’ll be there in a few! _

“Oh, she’s on her way!” Psyche told Eros.

They sat in awkward silence for what felt like an eternity. Psyche wanted to say so many things, but none of them were things she could say. She wanted to reach across the table to touch Eros’ hand affectionately, but knew he would not want that from Ampelus.

“How’s your mother?” It was the only thing she could think of to say. 

“She’s doing better now that my dad is back,” Eros replied. “But I think she’s worried Zeus is going to order him out to another war, just to spite Dad for taking sides with Persephone.”

“That’s terrible!”

“That’s my grandfather for you.” Eros sighed. 

“Why is he so invested in helping Apollo?” Psyche wondered genuinely.

“I’m not sure,” Eros answered. “I know he really likes Apollo. But this seems like such a small thing for Zeus to be so personally involved in.”

“It’s probably because an indictment of Apollo would expose Zeus to the same criticism,” came a deep voice from behind Psyche.

She whirled around as Eros greeted the speaker. “Hi Hades!” Eros said with a delighted smile. “I didn’t see you come in!”

“I’m not called the Unseen One for nothing,” Hades replied with a slight smirk. Despite his blithe comment, he looked a little uptight, as if he felt out of place in this bar.

“Well I’m glad you’re here,” Eros beamed. “Would you mind going with me to get drinks?”

“Ummm, sure.” Hades sounded more confused than reluctant.

Just as soon as they left, Psyche heard the hurried clicking of tiny high heels on the floor and whirled around once more. Persephone huffed as she rushed to the booth. She slid into Eros’ seat, taking off her hat and jacket, apologizing profusely to Psyche as she did.

“Please, my lady,” Psyche told her. “I was just excited because—you know. And I didn’t think to wait for you. It’s my fault.”

“I guess we both got carried away then,” Persephone smiled. “I made a breakthrough on my case that I think—” She suddenly fell silent and stared dumbfounded at something behind Psyche.

Psyche already had a good guess why before she even turned to look. Hades stood next to Eros, holding a scotch and something fruity, looking equally petrified. Eros took this opportunity to slide into the booth next to Psyche, giving her a conspiratorial wink. She knew exactly what Eros was up to and stifled a giggle as he slid her the same fruity drink that Hades held. She loved seeing the God of Love at work, playing matchmaker like this. 

Meanwhile, Hades and Persephone stared at each other, stupefied, for an almost uncomfortable amount of time. 

“H-Hi,” Persephone finally whispered, blushing. 

“H-Hi,” Hades whispered back. He finally slid into the booth next to her. “I suppose this is for you?” He passed her the fruity drink.

“Thanks,” Persephone whispered, smiling slightly. She took a sip of her drink and hummed in approval. “It’s good to see you.”

“Likewise,” Hades replied, also smiling. 

Eros turned to Psyche. “Ohhhh I just _ love _ this song! Ampelus, you _must_ come dance with me!”

"Sure!" Psyche blushed despite herself. She knew why he wanted to leave the booth—it was glaringly obvious—but the promise of more closeness with her secret beloved was a most welcome prospect. She obediently followed him out of the booth, blushing even more.

Hades turned to Persephone. “I—ummm—if this bothers you, I can leave.”

“What?” Persephone was visibly shocked. “No! Please stay.” She placed a delicate hand on his arm.

Hades smiled in relief. “Of course.”

They sipped their drinks quietly for a moment. 

“Are you upset with me?” Hades finally asked Persephone at length.

“No!” She looked shocked at the prospect. “There’s no reason why I would be upset with you! What makes you think that?”

“Oh,” he muttered softly, “it felt as though you’ve been avoiding me.”

“Oh,” she muttered in turn. “I—well…” She sighed and took another sip of her drink. “I thought m-maybe you were disappointed with me.”

Hades’ heart sank. He turned to face her. “Kore, I have no reason to be disappointed with you,” he said sadly, cupping her hand in his reassuringly. “You have done nothing wrong.”

“What about the trial?” she asked dismally. “The claim TGOEM is bringing on my behalf?”

_ Is that why she was avoiding me? _ he realized. _ Fuck Apollo for making her think this is her fault in any way. _

He looked into her eyes, hoping she could see how he felt about her. “Kore,” he insisted, “I understand what that claim implies. No matter what the facts are that led to that claim, irrespective of whether you…” His voice trailed off for a moment. It pained him to even say it, because he had a good idea of how things probably happened, and he was sure it was even more painful for her to be reminded of it, but he wanted to make sure her fears were assuaged. So, he continued, “Whether you chose to be with him or not—” he nearly choked saying it “—it’s not a reflection of your character at all. There’s nothing for me to be disappointed over.”

Her eyes welled up with tears. She bit her lip, trying to compose herself. “Thank you, Hades,” she whispered sincerely. “I’m sorry for avoiding you.”

The tremble in her voice nearly broke his heart. “I’m sorry for not checking on you,” he told her. “I should have.”

At that moment, they simultaneously realized how close they had drawn to each other; they were practically cuddling. Both blushing, they pulled apart, muttering apologies to each other. At that moment, Hades could hear Persephone’s stomach growl loudly.

“When was the last time you’d eaten?” he asked with concern. 

“Hades, you don’t need to worry about that.”

“Isn’t that what friends do?” he pressed. “You didn’t even take time for lunch, did you?”

She sighed. “No…”

“Would you mind if I treated you to dinner?”

“You’ve already done so much for me. I’ll be alright.”

“What if I cooked dinner for you, then?”

Persephone crossed her arms. “You’re not gonna lay off me not eating, are you?”

“Nope!” he smiled.

“If it’s not too much trouble for you, then sure.”

“Okay, let me just tell Eros and Ampelus that we are leaving, so they don’t worry.”

While Persephone collected her things, Hades pressed through the growing crowd to find Eros. Many patrons, upon realizing who he was, shrunk away in fear. He rolled his eyes at them, annoyed. 

“Hey big guy!” Eros called as he left the dance floor to meet Hades. “Are you two communicating better now?” he asked once they were closer.

“Yeah.” Hades couldn’t contain his smile. “I see what you pulled. Thank you.”

Eros nodded. “Is Persephone in a better mood?”

“I think so, yeah. We’re heading out to get dinner.”

“That’s wonderful!” the pink god clapped his hands. “Where are you taking her?”

“My townhouse.” Hades could feel the heat on his cheeks again.

Eros held his hand to his forehead in feigned scandalization. “Oh my! That’s fast!”

“It’s not like that!” Hades snapped, his eyes flashing red.

Eros returned to a more serious tone. “Just do right by my friend, okay? She’s been through enough.”

Hades turned his head, catching the pink goddess standing expectantly by the booth. He smiled again upon seeing her. “The last thing I want to do is hurt her,” he confessed. Hades then turned back to face Eros. “Hey, Eros, I would like to return your kindness. That mortal you’re looking for? Maybe try looking a little closer to home.”

Eros’ jaw dropped. “Wait, what do you know?”

Hades simply shrugged. “I’m afraid I can’t answer that. You can figure this one out, Eros.”

*****

The lasagna made of spinach, chickpeas, truffles, and mint that Hades pulled out of the oven smelled delectable. The side of beet and goat cheese salad looked mouthwatering. Persephone enjoyed preparing dinner with him, and meeting all the dogs again, including the newest addition to the family, a tiny Spaniel puppy named Pomelia, while the lasagna baked. She and Hades chatted at length about lighthearted things: a prank Hermes pulled at work last week, Russell eating Hades’ favorite pair of running shoes, all the costumes Cordon Bleu has been dressed in, Persephone managing to grow flowers in the windows of her condo without sunlight. 

She enjoyed being in Hades’ company, in this almost domestic setting, having a relaxed conversation. It was refreshing not to have to think about her problems, but she knew it would have to end. She watched the way he moved as he poured a fruity non-alcoholic sparkling spritzer for them both to drink, feeling a warmth deep within her. 

_ I shouldn’t be having feelings like this, _ she scolded herself. _ It was selfish of me to come here! _

But still, she couldn’t pull her eyes from him as he traded a drink with her for a plate of lasagna and salad. She was glad Hades served something without alcohol, because this would have been a terrible time to lower her inhibitions. They sat across from each other at the dining table. Persephone didn’t notice that Hades likewise couldn’t take his eyes off her.

“Are Athena and Hecate doing a good job of helping you on your case?” Hades asked as they began to eat. 

Persephone nodded, having just stuffed a bite of salad in her mouth. She almost moaned from how good the subtle pomegranate vinaigrette tasted. _ Of _ course _ he really is a gourmet and this is absolutely perfect, _ she realized as she continued to devour her food, nearly forgetting her manners.

“That’s good,” he continued. “Just so you know, you can always feel free to come to me if you ever need anything, okay?”

“Thank you,” she smiled. “I’ll keep that in mind. Oh, and thank you for enlisting Socrates to assist me. He’s been invaluable.”

“You’re welcome, Kore. That’s excellent news.”

Her spine tingled when he said her name. She looked down at her food in an effort to hide her blushing. 

“I think I figured out something that could help me in my case,” she went on. “But Hecate and I are stumped on how to bring it up in court.”

“Oh?” Hades regarded her with interest. 

Persephone panicked the moment she realized she would have to explain further. She would have to tell him why she thought her argument would work, and that meant telling him about how Apollo assaulted her. Once again, the worry that Hades would judge her or think little of her swept over her. She bit her trembling lip, trying to swallow down the despair she felt.

“Kore,” Hades said in a soothing tone in response to her sudden hesitation, “you don’t have to explain anything to me if you’re not comfortable. I won’t be upset with you.”

She gazed at him with large, sad eyes. “I appreciate your patience with me.” She spoke in a quivering voice. “I… I want to talk about this, but it’s just very hard to do.”

He gently placed his hand over hers. “I’m here for you, Persephone, no matter what,” he told her in an obvious attempt to allay her shame. “How about you only tell me what you are ready to tell me? Don’t feel that you owe me any sort of explanation.”

_ He’s too generous with me, _ she groaned internally. It was getting harder to fight the tears. “Okay. I—I just need a moment to collect my thoughts.”

Hades nodded. “Would it help if I made you some tea? Or if we sat on the living room couch?”

Persephone considered these offers. “Sure… to both.”

Hades nodded and led her to the living room. “Would you like a blanket?” he offered as she plopped onto the couch. 

She only nodded, still gathering her swirling thoughts and emotions. _ If I’m going to make this argument to the court, _ she reminded herself, _ then I’m going to have to tell this story. _

Pomelia hopped into her lap and Cerberus curled up at her feet. Hades paused to admire this scene, but she took no notice. He carefully wrapped a warm, heavy blanket around her shoulders and then quietly retreated to prepare tea. Persephone pulled the blanket closer to herself, finding comfort in how it enveloped her. 

_ I can do this, _ she reminded herself. _ If I want justice for myself, I have to do this. _

Hades returned with a cup of tea and then knelt on the floor in front of her. She smiled slightly at the sight of this big man sitting before her like a child at storytime, although his eyes were filled with concern instead of expectation. Her heart fluttered a little, with joy, seeing the feared King of the Underworld doting over her like this. Hades’ role, she realized, as judge of the dead made him an excellent confidante for something like this.

“I’ve got this,” she whispered to herself.

Hades only nodded encouragingly. Persephone sipped her tea. She could taste the herbs—lavender, valerian root, and passionflower—mixed with fresh ginger and honey. It was soothing. She took a deep breath and steeled herself.

“I realized I can bring an impiety charge of my own against Apollo,” she began. “Impiety, _ asebeia_, is defined as ‘something that brings offense to _ theoi_.’ That’s us, the gods. That includes me. Violations of reverence due to _ theoi_, desecration and mockery of sacred objects, and general ungodliness all constitute _ asebeia_. Apollo did something that would constitute such an offense. He…” She took another deep breath. _ I can do this. _ “He forced himself on me… He raped me.” Putting it into words hurt, and made her remember that night in more detail than she wanted to, but it was also beginning to feel freeing.

She winced, afraid of how Hades would react. Despite all her worst fears, however, he did not react with disgust or anger, but with sadness. Silent tears stained his cheeks. 

“Kore…” he whispered.

She could no longer fight back her own tears. She set down her tea and the puppy and collapsed into his arms, burying her face into his neck and sobbing. Hades simply pulled her close and stroked her hair with one hand while wrapping the blanket around them both with the other.

“I’m so sorry,” he whispered to her.

“There’s nothing you could’ve done,” she spoke into the nook of his neck. 

“I’m sorry this happened to you.”

“Me, too.”

They sat like this for a long time. Persephone couldn’t tell if it was minutes or hours that went by. She cried softly, and by his shuddering she could tell Hades did, too. But she felt safe, and she appreciated his patience with her.

“This is nothing for you to feel ashamed about,” Hades said at last. “If anyone should be ashamed, it’s Apollo for what he did. If you are ashamed, you will be afraid to speak, and if you are afraid to speak, you will not be able to get the justice that you deserve.”

Persephone knew he was right, although she also knew it would take longer to convince herself of that.

“None of this is your fault,” he continued. “You did nothing wrong.”

She cried some more, trembling, out of relief to hear those words from him. He stroked her hair again, allowing her time to process. Since it was so easy for her to fall into the trap of shame and guilt, it helped her to be reminded that she had no reason to be ashamed or feel guilty. It would take her a while to fully believe that, she knew, but she appreciated what Hades said. It helped her still her thoughts enough to continue.

She drew back enough to meet Hades’ eyes. His face was wet with tears, just as hers was. He lifted a hand to her cheek to wipe away some of the tears. 

“He needs to pay,” she told Hades, surprised at the amount of strength and determination in her voice when she said that. “Impiety is a crime against _ theoi_, like me. What he did desecrated my autonomy, made a mockery of my choice to be in TGOEM, and denied the respect owed to me as a fellow deity.”

Hades smiled, surprised. “That’s such a creative approach,” he told her, raising his eyebrows. “It’s brilliant.”

“Do you think it will work?” she asked hopefully.

He was quiet for a moment, his brow furrowed in thought, as if playing out a scenario in his head.

“How will you present this argument to the court?” he asked. “There’s no way I can see TGOEM supporting this, because it would take you out from under their protection, although this approach is the best one to further your interests and bring Apollo to justice.”

Her heart sank. “That’s the problem I encountered,” she sighed. “Hecate and I tried to brainstorm a solution, but we came up empty-handed.”

“That doesn’t mean a solution doesn’t exist,” he offered encouragingly. “It just means you haven’t found it yet. If you can think of such a novel approach to _ asebeia_, I’m sure you’ll figure this out.” He paused, thinking. “It will probably require challenging the existing rules, but you’ll have to show that you belong to yourself, not your mother, and not to TGOEM.”

Persephone nodded. That was what Hecate suggested earlier, too. “Why is it that my mother, Hecate, Hestia, and Athena are allowed to speak in open court? Even Artemis, from what I hear?” she thought aloud. “They don’t need someone else to speak for them.”

“They are high-ranking goddesses,” Hades shrugged. “And they are unmarried? That's all they have in common.”

Persephone’s thoughts started turning, ideas spinning so quickly it was becoming difficult to contain them. “They belong to nobody but themselves, right?”

Hades nodded slowly, his face lighting up with realization. “I think I see where you are going…”

“They are adult women,” she went on, “who belong to no man, and belong to themselves. Just like me.”

“Just like you,” he beamed. “You know, your mother is going to fight that. So is Hestia. So is Zeus, because of the implications.”

Persephone frowned. “It’s a bad idea?”

“No!” he assured her, almost pleading, taking one of her hands in his. “It’s a brilliant idea. You’re just going to have to make sure you argue it well. It’s just a matter of planning and practice. And I’m always here to help you with that, if you want.”

She smiled back, awash once more with a feeling of warmth. “Thank you, Hades,” she said, leaning in to hug him once more. “I really appreciate it.”


	11. ~~status update~~

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the hiatus!

Hi everyone! I’ve gotten a few pings asking if I’ll finish this fic. I just wanted to say... I will! It just will take some time. 

The pandemic hasn’t been good for me (including actually getting covid and being in medical quarantine for several months), and I’ve been dealing with some very difficult personal and work-related stuff. I don’t want to post anything that is rushed, and I want to give y’all the best I can.

I’m sorry for the long hiatus! Hopefully in the meantime other (waaaaaaay more talented) writers on here can sate your Lore Olympus hunger in the meantime!


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